ACR Meeting Abstracts

ACR Meeting Abstracts

  • Meetings
    • ACR Convergence 2024
    • ACR Convergence 2023
    • 2023 ACR/ARP PRSYM
    • ACR Convergence 2022
    • ACR Convergence 2021
    • ACR Convergence 2020
    • 2020 ACR/ARP PRSYM
    • 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting
    • 2018-2009 Meetings
    • Download Abstracts
  • Keyword Index
  • Advanced Search
  • Your Favorites
    • Favorites
    • Login
    • View and print all favorites
    • Clear all your favorites
  • ACR Meetings

Abstract Number: 1237

The Associations Between Depressive Symptoms and Executive Function and Academic Outcomes in Children with SLE

Hannah Bradfield1, Paola Sparagana2, Elizabeth Sloan1, Chanhee Jo3, Tracey Wright1 and Sheryl Frierson2, 1UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX, 2Scottish Rite for Children, Dallas, TX, 3Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, Dallas, TX

Meeting: ACR Convergence 2023

Keywords: mental health, Pediatric rheumatology, Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
Session Information

Date: Monday, November 13, 2023

Title: (1221–1255) Pediatric Rheumatology – Clinical Poster II: Connective Tissue Disease

Session Type: Poster Session B

Session Time: 9:00AM-11:00AM

Background/Purpose: Children with juvenile-onset SLE (jSLE) have high rates of depression.1-2 Adolescents with depression, but without a chronic illness, have lower academic engagement, efficacy, and school functioning.3 While academic outcomes have been studied in children with jSLE, no studies have explored the associations between depression and academic outcomes in this population. 4 This pilot study aimed to evaluate the relationship between depressive symptoms and executive function and academic outcomes in jSLE.The study also explored the relationship of depressive symptoms to other disease/patient-specific variables, including age at onset, disease duration, and disease activity.

Methods: jSLEpatients, 9-18 years of age, completed the Wide Range Achievement Test 5th Edition (WRAT5) and the Center for Epidemiological Studies – Depression Scale (CESD). Their parent completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function 2nd Edition (BRIEF2) and a questionnaire gathering demographics and academic performance. The SLEDAI and SLICC/ACR Damage Index, were obtained. Two-sample T-test was used to identify associations between depressive symptoms and academic outcomes, including WRAT5 and BRIEF scores, and disease/patient-specific variables.

Results: Of the 12 patients enrolled, 42% screened positive for significant depressive symptoms.Forty percent of patients who screened positive for depressive symptoms reported receiving mental health treatment. The WRAT5 mean math computation and reading composite percentile ranks were higher for participants without significant depressive symptoms (SLE-ND) compared to those with significant depressive symptoms (SLE-D), but this difference was not significant (see figure 1). The mean BRIEF Initiate scale percentile was higher for participants with significant depressive symptoms compared to those without, but this difference was also not significant. Patients with significant depressive symptoms tended to be older at disease onset and have shorter disease duration (see figures 2A-B).

Conclusion: Depressive symptoms, often untreated, were common in this cohort with jSLE. While there may be clinically meaningful differences in academic outcomes in jSLE patients with significant depressive symptoms, the small sample size precluded us from detecting significant differences. However, this pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of administering tools to assess depressive symptoms, executive function, and academic outcomes in jSLE. Larger studies are needed to better understand these trends.

  1. Knight AM, et al. Depression risk in young adults With juvenile- and adult-onset LUPUS: Twelve years of followup. AC&R. 2018;70(3):475-480.
  2. Knight A, et al. Identifying differences in risk factors for depression and anxiety in pediatric chronic disease. J of Ped. 2015;167(6):1397-1403.
  3. Jaycox LH, et al. Impact of Teen depression ON ACADEMIC, social, and physical functioning. Ped. 2009;124(4):596-605.
  4. Zelko F, et al. Academic outcomes in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus. AC&R. 2012;64(8):1167-1174.

Supporting image 1

Supporting image 2

Supporting image 3


Disclosures: H. Bradfield: None; P. Sparagana: None; E. Sloan: None; C. Jo: None; T. Wright: None; S. Frierson: None.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Bradfield H, Sparagana P, Sloan E, Jo C, Wright T, Frierson S. The Associations Between Depressive Symptoms and Executive Function and Academic Outcomes in Children with SLE [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023; 75 (suppl 9). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/the-associations-between-depressive-symptoms-and-executive-function-and-academic-outcomes-in-children-with-sle/. Accessed .
  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

« Back to ACR Convergence 2023

ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/the-associations-between-depressive-symptoms-and-executive-function-and-academic-outcomes-in-children-with-sle/

Advanced Search

Your Favorites

You can save and print a list of your favorite abstracts during your browser session by clicking the “Favorite” button at the bottom of any abstract. View your favorites »

All abstracts accepted to ACR Convergence are under media embargo once the ACR has notified presenters of their abstract’s acceptance. They may be presented at other meetings or published as manuscripts after this time but should not be discussed in non-scholarly venues or outlets. The following embargo policies are strictly enforced by the ACR.

Accepted abstracts are made available to the public online in advance of the meeting and are published in a special online supplement of our scientific journal, Arthritis & Rheumatology. Information contained in those abstracts may not be released until the abstracts appear online. In an exception to the media embargo, academic institutions, private organizations, and companies with products whose value may be influenced by information contained in an abstract may issue a press release to coincide with the availability of an ACR abstract on the ACR website. However, the ACR continues to require that information that goes beyond that contained in the abstract (e.g., discussion of the abstract done as part of editorial news coverage) is under media embargo until 10:00 AM ET on November 14, 2024. Journalists with access to embargoed information cannot release articles or editorial news coverage before this time. Editorial news coverage is considered original articles/videos developed by employed journalists to report facts, commentary, and subject matter expert quotes in a narrative form using a variety of sources (e.g., research, announcements, press releases, events, etc.).

Violation of this policy may result in the abstract being withdrawn from the meeting and other measures deemed appropriate. Authors are responsible for notifying colleagues, institutions, communications firms, and all other stakeholders related to the development or promotion of the abstract about this policy. If you have questions about the ACR abstract embargo policy, please contact ACR abstracts staff at [email protected].

Wiley

  • Online Journal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Permissions Policies
  • Cookie Preferences

© Copyright 2025 American College of Rheumatology