Memory, gender and rumination in depression: Recall of simulated situations with articulated thoughts and the Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test

Abstract

Although research on depression and memory has been widespread and varied, examining depression as a factor related to impairment of recall generally as well as a factor associated with facilitated recall of negative information, few previous studies have sought to examine both phenomena in the same experimental framework. In this study, we used an Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations (ATSS) paradigm as a vehicle for testing recall along with a standardized memory test in order to investigate what factors may play a role in the relationship between depression and memory. ATSS scenarios of negative, neutral and positive valencewere presented to 67 subjects for response and subsequent recall alongwith thememory battery, with rumination, depression severity and gender examined as potentially important factors. Of the 67 subjects, 19 were depressed (CES-D>16). There were no demographics differences displayed among the depressed and non-depressed groups, nor between males and females. Depressed individuals displayed no differences in recall on the variety of valenced (recall of valenced ATSS scenarios) and non-valenced (Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test) memory measures compared to non-depressed participants (ns). Gender and rumination did not provide any significant additional associationwithmemory performancewhen added into the canonical regression equation. These findings add to the body of mixed results regarding how depression affects memory, highlighting the need for more fine grained examination of potential moderators of the relationship between depression and memory.