Objectives:
Working memory deficits might be one of the major cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. Some researchers argue, that cognitive control is especially disturbed among schizophrenia patients. It was found, that low working memory capacity in schizophrenia may be explained by the fact that irrelevant stimuli occupy patients’ storage space that could otherwise be used to hold relevant information. Aim: We examined, whether increased distress as well as the tendency to focus on irrelevant information (worry) are related to cognitive control in schizophrenia.

Methods:
The participants were 28 patients with paranoid schizophrenia and a control group (n=28). The cognitive control was measured with the short version of Attention Networks Test (ANT), and the state of worry and distress was assessed by the short version of the Dundee Stress State Questionnaire (DSSQ) in a Polish adaptation.

Results:
The stress states of worry and distress were higher among patients in comparison to controls. Moreover, worry mediated the relationship between group and cognitive control task.

Conclusions:
The mediation model suggested that patient’s poorer performance on cognitive control task might partially explained by their increased state of worry (focus on task unrelated thoughts) measured just before the task.