A-88 College Students with Depression or Anxiety: Greater Subjective Cognitive Concerns, Lower Academic Self-Efficacy, but Comparable Compensatory Cognitive Strategy Use

Abstract

Abstract Objective This study examined whether college students with and without depression or anxiety differed in subjective cognitive concerns, college self-efficacy, and compensatory cognitive strategy use, hypothesizing that students with depression or anxiety would report greater cognitive concerns and lower self-efficacy in coursework, but comparable frequencies of compensatory cognitive strategy use. If confirmed, this finding would imply that, despite greater cognitive and academic problems, students with depression or anxiety do not implement behaviors in their everyday lives to address these problems. Method Participants (N = 582; age: 19.0 ± 1.0 years-old; 79.4% women; 81.9% White) completed online self-report questionnaires on subjective cognitive functioning, academic self-efficacy, compensatory cognitive strategy use, and depression and anxiety symptoms, which were used to categorize participants as having anxiety or depression based on established clinical cutoffs. Results Participants with anxiety or depression reported higher rates of elevated cognitive concerns, χ2 = 108.70, p < 0.001, OR = 7.75, and lower academic self-efficacy, t = 8.46, p < 0.001, d = 0.71, compared to participants without anxiety or depression, but these groups differed only modestly in compensatory cognitive strategy use, t = 2.42, p = 0.016, d = 0.20. Conclusion(s) Most students with depression or anxiety had elevated subjective cognitive concerns (52.0%), compared to a minority of participants without these conditions (12.3%). Despite substantially elevated cognitive concerns, participants with anxiety or depression reported only modestly greater compensatory cognitive strategy use. There appears to be a need to address cognitive concerns in college students with psychiatric conditions, and compensatory cognitive training may be a valuable supplemental service for clinicians working with college students in mental healthcare settings.