The potential impact of adolescent and young adult depression on neuropsychological function

Abstract

Neuropsychological impairments in depressed adults and elderly have been well acknowledged, however, it has been less extensively studied in adolescents and young adults. Since neuropsychological function has a huge impact on our quality of life, the identification of similar impairments in younger populations with depression is essential for the proper healthcare and support to be implemented. Therefore, the aims of this review consist of determining whether depression in adolescents and young adults, aged 12 to 25 years, has an impact on their neuropsychological functioning, while identifying gaps in literature and proposing recommendations for clinical practice. The PEO research question formulated reads: ‘What is the impact of depression on neuropsychological functioning in adolescents and young adults?’ The PEO framework components are adolescents and young adults for the ‘population’, depression as the ‘exposure’, and the ‘outcome’ is impairments in neuropsychological functioning. Inclusion criteria required articles to be peer-reviewed, published from 2011 onwards, and in the English language. Exclusion criteria eliminated articles incorporating a population younger or older than the established age group, and participants with severe comorbidity, psychotic depression, or substance misuse. Furthermore, studies not in English and not peer-reviewed were excluded. A systematic review, cohort study, three case-control studies and a case report were retrieved and critically appraised with the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) and the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools. Results indicate that visuo-spatial ability, planning, response inhibition, cognitive control, and conceptual reasoning are intact, while working memory, attention, verbal learning and memory, set shifting, fluency and processing speed are impaired at varying effect sizes in youths with depression. Further research is required to obtain a greater understanding of the relationship between depression and neuropsychological function to ultimately improve mental healthcare services for adolescents and young adults with depression and enhance their quality of life.