A Daily Diary Study of Executive Functions, Coping, and Mood Among Low-Income Latino Adolescents

This study used daily diary methodology to examine the association between executive functions and daily mood, as mediated by daily coping, among low-income Latino adolescents. Fifty-eight middle school students (53% male, (X) over bar (age) = 13.31 years, 95% Latino) completed baseline measures assessing demographic characteristics and executive functions (working memory, inhibition, shifting). They subsequently completed seven consecutive daily diaries assessing daily coping (engagement, disengagement) and mood (positive, negative). Results revealed two significant mediation models: daily disengagement coping partially mediated the association between working memory and daily negative mood; daily disengagement coping partially mediated the association between inhibition and daily negative mood. Mediation models including shifting and engagement coping were not significant. Findings suggest that adolescents with poorer working memory and poorer inhibition may rely on maladaptive coping strategies, which can impact mood. Clinical implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.