Abstract
BackgroundNegative memory bias is a strong risk factor for the development and maintenance of depression. Recent evidence also found negative memory bias in other mental disorders. Here, we aim to: 1) assess the presence and strength of negative memory bias in a range of (comorbid) mental disorders, 2) investigate which disorder-specific symptoms are associated with negative memory bias, and 3) test whether negative memory bias might be a transdiagnostic mechanism. MethodsNegative memory bias was measured in patients with at least one diagnosis of a stress-related disorder (n = 86), a neurodevelopmental disorder (n = 53), or both (n = 68), and 51 controls. Depression, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and autism spectrum disorder symptom severity was assessed using questionnaires. Groups were compared on negative memory bias and the associations between negative memory bias and symptom severity were made using linear regression models. ResultsAll patient groups showed stronger negative memory bias than the controls. Negative memory bias was individually associated with all symptom severity indices, but when added into a single model, only the association with depressive symptom severity remained. This persisted after controlling for diagnostic group. LimitationsDue to the cross-sectional sectional study design, we could only look at the associations between negative memory bias and disorder-specific symptoms and not at the direction of the effects. ConclusionsNegative memory bias is characteristic of a depressotypic processing style and present in different mental disorders. It might play a mechanistic role in the development of (subclinical) co-occurrence between mental disorders.
Highlights
The prevalence of mental disorders is high; approximately 46% of the general population will be affected by a mental disorder at some point during their life (Kessler et al, 2005)
Because only depressive symptom severity was significantly associated with negative memory bias, we looked at the distribution of depressive symptoms across the SR, CM, ND, and control group
By examining negative bias in different mental disorders, we aimed to investigate whether negative memory bias is a potential shared neurocognitive mechanism involved in the development of different stress-related and neurodevelopmental disorders
Summary
The prevalence of mental disorders is high; approximately 46% of the general population will be affected by a mental disorder at some point during their life (Kessler et al, 2005). Studies have shown that the comorbidity between ADHD and ASD ranges between 14-78% (Gargaro et al, 2011), for depression and anxiety disorders this is 40-80% (De Graaf et al, 2003), and for ASD and depression this is 53-77% (Hofvander et al, 2009; Joshi et al, 2013). This suggests that different mental disorders might have common causes (Harkin et al, 2016). Negative memory bias was individually associated with all symptom severity indices, but when added into a single model, only the association with depressive symptom severity remained This persisted after controlling for diagnostic group. It might play a mechanistic role in the development of (subclinical) co-occurrence between mental disorders
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