Rumination mediates the relationship between overgeneral autobiographical memory and depression in patients with major depressive disorder

Yansong Liu,Aiguo Na,Xinnian Yu,Guangzhong Yin,Fuquan Zhang,Wenhua Zou,Xudong Zhao,Bixiu Yang

doi:10.1186/s12888-017-1264-8

Abstract

BackgroundOvergeneral autobiographical memory has been identified as a risk factor for the onset and maintenance of depression. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms that might explain overgeneral autobiographical memory phenomenon in depression. The purpose of this study was to test the mediation effects of rumination on the relationship between overgeneral autobiographical memory and depressive symptoms. Specifically, the mediation effects of brooding and reflection subtypes of rumination were examined in patients with major depressive disorder.MethodsEighty-seven patients with major depressive disorder completed the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Ruminative Response Scale, and Autobiographical Memory Test. Bootstrap mediation analysis for simple and multiple mediation models through the PROCESS macro was applied.ResultsSimple mediation analysis showed that rumination significantly mediated the relationship between overgeneral autobiographical memory and depression symptoms. Multiple mediation analyses showed that brooding, but not reflection, significantly mediated the relationship between overgeneral autobiographical memory and depression symptoms.ConclusionsOur results indicate that global rumination partly mediates the relationship between overgeneral autobiographical memory and depressive symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder. Furthermore, the present results suggest that the mediating role of rumination in the relationship between overgeneral autobiographical memory and depression is mainly due to the maladaptive brooding subtype of rumination.

Highlights

Overgeneral autobiographical memory has been identified as a risk factor for the onset and maintenance of depression
Ruminative Response Scale (RRS) was positively correlated with Overgeneral Autobiographical Memory (OGM) (r = 0.65, p < 0.001) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) (r = 0.53, p < 0.001)
Brooding was positively correlated with OGM (r = 0.59, p < 0.001) and HDRS (r = 0.54, p < 0.001)

Summary

Introduction

Overgeneral autobiographical memory has been identified as a risk factor for the onset and maintenance of depression. Little is known about the underlying mechanisms that might explain overgeneral autobiographical memory phenomenon in depression. Hermans et al [10] found that patients with MDD who exhibited higher levels of OGM upon hospital admission were more likely than patients not characterized by OGM at the initial assessment to still meet criteria for MDD 3–4 weeks later. Taken together, these studies suggest that OGM plays a strong role in the onset and maintenance of depression. Recent studies suggest that rumination might be a possible mechanism that explains how OGM leads to depression [11, 12]

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