Control when it counts: Change in executive control under stress predicts depression symptoms.

Abstract

Individual differences in the ability to regulate affect following stressful life events have been associated with an increased risk for experiencing depression symptoms. Research further suggests that emotion regulation may depend on executive control which, in turn, has been shown to decline following stress exposure. Whether individual differences in stress-induced change in executive control predict depression symptoms, however, remains unknown. The current study examined whether trait executive control as well as stress-induced change in executive control predicts depression symptoms during a stressful time of life. The current study recruited 43 individuals during their first year of college. Participants completed an executive control task before and after a laboratory stress induction. Participants reported baseline depression symptoms during the laboratory session and follow-up depression symptoms during the final weeks of the semester. Results demonstrate that stress-induced change in executive control predicted an increase in depression symptoms at the end of the semester. The findings suggest that individual differences in the degree of decline in executive control following stress exposure may be a key factor in explaining why some individuals are vulnerable to depression during a stressful time of life.