Abstract
Background and objectivesDepressed individuals have difficulty remembering specific autobiographical events. These deficits often persist after recovery of mood symptoms, but the mechanisms underlying impaired memory specificity in recovered depressed individuals remain unclear. Here, we sought to examine whether performance on two cognitive measures might be related to deficits in autobiographical memory retrieval in individuals with a history of depression. MethodsTwenty-four recovered depressed women (12 with more than one previous episode) and 24 never depressed women completed two cognitive measures (Digit Span and a Number Generation Task) and tests of autobiographical memory recall. ResultsOverall, the recovered depressed women did not show deficits in autobiographical retrieval. However, those with more than one previous episode had impaired retrieval of categorical autobiographical memories. Moreover, depression history moderated the relationship between Digit Span and retrieval of categoric autobiographical memories such that within the whole recovered depressed group (but not the never depressed group), those with lower Digit Span also had poorer retrieval of categorical autobiographical memories. LimitationsOur sample size was small and included only women. Moreover, order effects may have been a significant factor. ConclusionsThese findings support the notion that working memory is an important factor in impairing autobiographical memory in those who have recovered from depression, but suggest a complex relationship with autobiographical recall.
Highlights
Depressed individuals have difficulties remembering specific autobiographical events
Mean age at depression onset in the recovered depressed group was 18.6 (SD 1⁄4 4.3), mean number of episodes was 1.9, and mean time in remission at the time of participation was 2.8 years (SD 1⁄4 2.2)
We found no evidence for impaired autobiographical memory generality on the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT)-Reversed in the recovered depressed sample overall, we did find a significant deficit in the recurrent subgroup, with a reasonably large effect size
Summary
Depressed individuals have difficulties remembering specific autobiographical events. Whereas non-depressed people can describe single events that occurred at a particular time and place (e.g., ‘I was happy at my party last month’), depressed patients tend to describe repeated events (e.g., ‘I’m happy every year on my birthday’ e for a review, see Williams et al, 2007) In depression, this overgenerality is associated with deficits in important cognitive abilities e including reduced future specificity and poor social problem solving e and with delayed recovery from mood disturbances (e.g., Brittlebank, Scott, Williams, & Ferrier, 1993; Hermans, Vandromme, et al, 2008; Sumner, Griffith, & Mineka, 2010). Depressed individuals have difficulty remembering specific autobiographical events These deficits often persist after recovery of mood symptoms, but the mechanisms underlying impaired memory specificity in recovered depressed individuals remain unclear. Conclusions: These findings support the notion that working memory is an important factor in impairing autobiographical memory in those who have recovered from depression, but suggest a complex relationship with autobiographical recall
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