Executive function in depression: the role of performance strategies in aiding depressed and non-depressed participants

Objectives-Depression has been found to be associated with dysfunction in e xecutive processes, whereas relatively automatic processes are thought to r emain intact. Failure to generate or implement adequate performance strateg ies has been postulated in depressed participants. The present study invest igated spontaneous strategy usage in depressed and control participants, an d the effectiveness of providing a hint about performance strategies. Methods-Unipolar depressed participants were compared with matched healthy controls on three tasks sensitive to executive function: memory for categor ised words, response suppression, and multiple scheduling. Participants in each group were randomly allocated to strategy aid and no strategy aid cond itions. Those in the strategy aid condition were given a hint about the use of an appropriate performance strategy for each task, in addition to the s tandard instructions given to those in the no strategy aid condition. Results-Depressed participants performed worse than controls on each of the three tasks, and were found to use appropriate performance strategies less often. Provision of strategy hints increased the use of performance strate gies in two of the three tasks, memory for categorised words, and response suppression, but did not significantly improve overall performance for eith er group. Conclusions-The findings were consistent with the view that depressed parti cipants fail to use appropriate performance strategies spontaneously to the same extent as controls. However, provision of information alone does not seem to be an adequate means of enhancing performance. The role of performa nce strategies in cognitive impairment in depression is discussed, both in terms of initiating use of such strategies and carrying these out efficient ly.