Sluggish cognitive tempo symptoms and psychosocial well-being in adolescents – an epidemiological study in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S441-S441
Author(s):  
T. Hurtig ◽  
J. Veijola
Keyword(s):  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Population Sample ◽  
Participation Rate ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Attention Problems ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo ◽  
Lower Grade ◽  
Cognitive Tempo

IntroductionThe investigation of sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) concept has renewed interest in recent years. Apart from previous studies linking SCT items to ADHD, current research now shows further evidence for the relationship between SCT items and impairment in several domains. Despite it is not a clinical entity, SCT items are often seen in clinical child and adolescent psychiatric populations and, thus, further investigation of these symptoms is clearly needed both in clinical and in community samples.ObjectivesOur aim was to investigate the relations between SCT items and psychiatric symptoms, as well as psychosocial and academic functioning in a large general population sample of adolescents.MethodsFifteen-year old adolescents from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (n = 9432) completed a postal questionnaire on their health and well-being with a participation rate of 80%. The questionnaire included the Youth Self Report (YSR) which has the following SCT items: I feel confused or in a fog, I daydream a lot, and, I don’t have much energy, as well as items constructing the subscales depressed/anxious, withdrawn, somatic complains, social problems, thought problems, attention problems, rule-breaking behavior, and aggressive behavior.Preliminary resultsAround 8% of adolescents rated themselves above the 90% cut-off in the sum score of SCT items. They also reported more symptoms in all YSR subscales, lower grade marks in academic field, less friends, and lower life satisfaction than adolescents scoring below the 90% cut-off.ConclusionSCT may relate to various psychiatric problems and reduced psychosocial well-being.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Evaluation of the Interplay Between Homework Motivation and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo in Youth With ADHD: Associations With Homework Performance

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (11) ◽  
pp. 1262-1273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoe R. Smith ◽  
Rosanna P. Breaux ◽  
Cathrin D. Green ◽  
Joshua M. Langberg
Keyword(s):  
Academic Failure ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo ◽  
School Students ◽  
Academic Impairment ◽  
Oppositional Defiant ◽  
Youth With Adhd ◽  
Low Motivation ◽  
Cognitive Tempo

Objective: This study evaluated which Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) factors (i.e., Slow, Sleepy, Daydreamer) are most strongly associated with homework motivation, and whether homework motivation mediates the path between SCT and academic impairment. Method: Participants were 285 middle school students (boys 209) in Grades 6 to 8 (ages 10-15 years) who were comprehensively diagnosed with ADHD. Results: Parent- and self-report of SCT Slow behaviors predicted homework motivation above and beyond symptoms of ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), anxiety, depression, and intelligence. The mediation models tested were multi-informant and cross-rater (parent-report of SCT to self-report of motivation to teacher-report of homework problems), and suggest that low motivation may help explain the associations between SCT and functional impairment. Conclusion: SCT and motivation are significantly associated constructs. Clinically, youth with ADHD and comorbid SCT may be more likely to present with low motivation, placing them at risk for academic failure. The manuscript discusses potential clinical implications of these findings.

scholarly journals The Relationship between Sluggish Cognitive Tempo, Self-esteem, and Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder among University Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 238
Author(s):  
Shaimaa Ezzat Basha ◽  
Futiem Nasha Alsubie
Keyword(s):  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
University Students ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Adult Adhd ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Positive Direct ◽  
Cognitive Tempo

The present paper aims at determining the contribution of the Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) and self-esteem to predicting Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among female university students in Saudi Arabia. It examines the differences in the research variables according to academic achievement. It also identifies the correlations of these variables. The authors applied the research instruments, i.e., the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1), Adult Concentration Inventory (ACI), and Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) to a sample of 203 female university students aged 19-31 years (M = 23.29 years; SD= 3.74 years). The results showed no differences in the mean scores of ASRS, ACI, and negative self-esteem in the achievement levels among university students. In contrast, there was a positive direct relationship between ADHD, SCT, and negative self-esteem. SCT contributed significantly (by 40%), whereas self-esteem contributed by 6% in predicting ADHD among university students. The study highlighted the contribution of both negative self-esteem and SCT to predicting ADHD among Saudi university students to understand the nature of the disorder and its predictors. The findings of this study can be utilized to develop preventive programs for enhancing self-esteem and increasing attention among university students.   Received: 17 December 2020 / Accepted: 31 January 2021 / Published: 5 March 2021

Examining the Structural and External Validity of the Adult Concentration Inventory for Assessing Sluggish Cognitive Tempo in Adults

Assessment ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 107319112110272
Author(s):  
Joseph W. Fredrick ◽  
G. Leonard Burns ◽  
Joshua M. Langberg ◽  
Stephen P. Becker
Keyword(s):  
Time Management ◽  
External Validity ◽  
Internalizing Symptoms ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo ◽  
Symptom Dimensions ◽  
Cognitive Tempo

The Adult Concentration Inventory (ACI) is an adult self-report measure of sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) developed following a meta-analysis identifying items distinguishing SCT from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) inattention. To date, only one study conducted in college students has examined the structural and external validity of the ACI. The current study evaluated the convergent and discriminative validity of the ACI in a community sample of adults, in addition to testing unique associations with internalizing symptoms, daily life executive functions, and sleep. Adults ( N = 286; Mage = 44.45; 83.6% female) completed ratings of SCT, ADHD symptom dimensions, and external correlates. An a priori two-factor model with cross-loadings found 10 of the 16 SCT items to have high loadings on the SCT factor and low loadings on the ADHD inattention factor. SCT was uniquely associated with higher internalizing symptoms, time management and self-organization difficulties, poorer sleep quality, shorter sleep duration, lower sleep efficiency, and more daytime sleepiness. These findings replicate and extend support for the ACI in assessing SCT in adults.

scholarly journals Maternal Executive Functioning, Emotional Availability and Psychological Distress During Toddlerhood: A FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Nordenswan ◽  
Kirby Deater-Deckard ◽  
Mira Karrasch ◽  
Matti Laine ◽  
Eeva-Leena Kataja ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Population Sample ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Emotional Availability ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Parental Caregiving ◽  
Childhood Parenting

Executive functioning (EF) is one of the building blocks in parental caregiving behavior, and contextual variables have been reported to moderate the link between EF and caregiving behavior. Although psychological distress due to various factors is prevalent during early parenthood and is negatively associated with adult EF, it is not known whether psychological distress influences the maternal EF/caregiving link. This study explored the association between maternal EF and caregiving behavior (more specifically, Emotional Availability/EA), and whether single and cumulative maternal psychological distress domains moderated the EF/EA association in a general population sample of 137 Finnish birth cohort mothers with 2.5-year-old children. EF was measured with a composite of five computerized Cogstate tasks, EA with the Emotional Availability Scales, and three psychological distress domains with self-report questionnaires (depression: EPDS, anxiety: SCL-90, insomnia: AIS). Better EF was significantly associated with more positive, sensitive caregiving, but this association was no longer significant when controlling for education level. Neither individual nor cumulative distress domains moderated the EF/EA association significantly, although the observed moderation effects were in the expected direction. These findings suggest that EF should be recognized alongside socioemotional factors as variables that are associated with parental caregiving behavior during toddlerhood. Furthermore, if the non-significant moderation results are replicated, they indicate that mothers in community samples are not at great risk for psychological distress that would compromise their capacity to utilize their EF while caring for their child. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings, as well as to examine these associations among fathers and in samples that have higher levels of chronic stressors. Studies with more diverse samples in terms of distress levels and EF performance would provide further insight into early childhood parenting and its risk factors.

Sluggish cognitive tempo

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen P. Becker ◽  
Russell A. Barkley
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Dysregulation ◽  
Performance Outcomes ◽  
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo ◽  
Lower Grade ◽  
Motor Speed ◽  
Major Life ◽  
Academic Difficulties ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
History Of ◽  
Cognitive Tempo

Sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) is characterized by excessive daydreaming, mental confusing and fogginess, and slowed behaviour/thinking. A brief history of the SCT construct is provided, followed by a review of the current research supporting SCT as distinct from ADHD and other psychopathologies. SCT is positively associated with ADHD inattentive symptoms, depression, anxiety, and daytime sleepiness, but is unassociated or negatively associated with externalizing behaviours such as hyperactivity-impulsivity, oppositionality, and aggression. A growing body of research also demonstrates that SCT is uniquely associated with poorer functioning in various domains of major life activities, including academic difficulties (including poor organization, homework problems, and lower grade point average), social problems (especially peer withdrawal and isolation), and emotion dysregulation. SCT is less clearly associated with most neuropsychological performance outcomes with the possible exceptions of sustained attention, processing speed, and motor speed.

Evaluating the Structure of Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Using Confirmatory Factor Analytic and Bifactor Modeling With Parent and Youth Ratings

Assessment ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoe R. Smith ◽  
Stephen P. Becker ◽  
Annie A. Garner ◽  
Cort W. Rudolph ◽  
Stephen J. Molitor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo ◽  
General Factor ◽  
Fit Statistics ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Bifactor Modeling ◽  
Three Factor ◽  
Cognitive Tempo

The primary goals of this study were to evaluate the dimensionality of the Penny et al. Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Scale and to compare model fits for parent- and youth self-report versions. Participants were 262 young adolescents (ages 10-15) comprehensively diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Both confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and bifactor modeling were used to determine if the proposed three-factor structure previously identified through exploratory factor analysis could be confirmed. Results showed that although the three-factor CFA had better fit statistics than a one- or two-factor CFA, the bifactor model was the best-fitting model for both parent report and self-report. This implies that Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Scale is best conceptualized as having an underlying general factor, with three specific factors that may represent different etiologies. Importantly, results also showed low-to-moderate correlations between raters and equivalent or better fit statistics for self-report in comparison with parent report.

Well being and psychiatric status of parents of children with Mental Retardation in Pakistan

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 278-278
Author(s):  
I.A. Dogar ◽  
M.W. Azeem ◽  
I. Haider ◽  
M. Wudarsky ◽  
A. Asmat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Retardation ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionStudies have shown an association between parental distress and caretaking of children with cognitive delays. There is little data in developing countries, such as Pakistan, concerning the impact of raising children with Mental Retardation, upon the quality of parent functioning and risk for psychopathology.ObjectiveTo assess the level of distress and risk for psychopathology among parents of children with Mental Retardation (MR).MethodsThis was prospective study conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. Participants were 200 parents (100 fathers/100 mothers) of 100 children with the diagnosis of MR. Parents were administered Self Report Questionnaire 20 (SRQ 20) and the Quality of Life BREF (QOL BREF).ResultsMean age for mothers was 40.2 years while fathers was 42.9 years. The mean age of children was 10.5 years (30% females/70% males) with 25% mild MR, 42% moderate MR, 20% severe MR and 13% profound MR. On SRQ 20, 25% mothers and 43% fathers scored above the cut off indicating possible psychiatric disorder. Mean QOL domain scores were for mothers (M) and fathers (F): M 13.2/ F 13.9 for physical health; M13.1 / F 13.7 for psychological health; M 13.9 / F 13.9 for social relationships, M 13.4 / F 14.8 for environment.ConclusionsParents of children with MR are at higher risk for psychopathology, needing mental health assessment.Fathers scores on the SRQ reflect more distress and psychiatric symptoms than mothers SRQ scores.Limitations include lack of comparison group and small sample size.

Executive Dysfunction and Functional Impairment Associated With Sluggish Cognitive Tempo in Emerging Adulthood

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 691-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
Whitney L. M. Wood ◽  
Lawrence J. Lewandowski ◽  
Benjamin J. Lovett ◽  
Kevin M. Antshel
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Functional Impairment ◽  
Executive Dysfunction ◽  
The Other ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Objective Research ◽  
Cognitive Tempo

Objective: Research has identified a relationship between sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) symptoms and symptoms of ADHD, anxiety, and depression; however, no study has controlled for symptoms of ADHD, anxiety, and depression when examining impairment related to SCT symptoms. This study aimed to examine (a) the extent to which functional impairment and executive function (EF) problems were accounted for by SCT symptoms when controlling for ADHD, anxiety, and depression symptoms, and (b) which type of symptoms were associated with the greatest amount of impairment. Method: College students ( N = 458) completed self-report scales of ADHD, SCT, anxiety, and depression symptoms, as well as functional impairment and EF problems. Results: Thirteen percent of the sample was found to have high levels of SCT symptoms. SCT symptoms showed a moderate to strong correlation with the other symptom sets; however, high levels of SCT symptoms often occurred separate from high levels of ADHD, anxiety, or depression symptoms. SCT symptoms accounted for the most unique variance for both EF problems and functional impairment. Students with high levels of SCT symptoms, with or without high levels of ADHD symptoms, exhibited more impairment and EF problems than the controls. Conclusion: SCT is a clinical construct worthy of additional study, particularly among college students.

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