A-23 Mental Illness and Emotional Functioning as Moderated by Executive Functioning: Incarcerated Population

Abstract

Objective The purpose of this study is to investigate whether executive functioning will moderate the relationship of a history of mental illness on aggression in a male forensic population. Method Using an archival database from a larger study, 232 male inmates (ages 21 and 49 years old) from three medium/maximum Maryland Correctional facilities were recruited using a pseudo-random selection process during intake. Participants were administered three EF tasks (Cambridge Decision Making Task, Logan Stop-Signal Task, and Stroop Interference Task), history of mental illness was obtained using the Symptom Checklist-90, and aggression was assessed with the Novaco Reaction to Provocation Questionnaire. Results Hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted. For overall aggression reactivity, inhibition moderated depression (IR2 = .025, F(3, 224) = 9.977, p < .001, β = -.246, p = .015) and psychoticism (IR2 = .019, F(3, 224) = 8.216, p < .001, β = -.136, p = .031). For reactive aggression subtype, inhibition moderated depression (IR2 = .025, F(3, 224) = 2.679, p = .048, β = .071, p = .017). For proactive aggression subtype, cognitive flexibility moderated anxiety (IR2 = .018, F(3, 224) = 4.731, p = .003, β = -.014, p = .039); and depression (IR2 = .022, F(3, 224) = 3.888, p = .010, β = -.017, p = .025). Conclusions Overall, there was mixed findings for inhibition. On Cambridge Decision Making task, inhibition moderated the predictive relationship of depression on reactive aggression and psychoticism and overall aggression but not for other measures of inhibition. For another inhibition task (Stroop), inhibition did not significantly moderate any mental illness on severity of aggression. Cognitive flexibility moderated the predictive relationships of anxiety and depression on proactive aggression. Findings suggest targeting cognitive flexibility for inmates diagnosed with anxiety depression, and psychosis when treating aggression in a male forensic population.