In this study, we used the process dissociation task of recollection and habit memory to assess subjects with either a current or past history of MDD in order to examine recollection and habit memory independently, compare recollection memory performance with both current mood state and global functioning scores, and compare recollection memory performance with numbers of past episodes of illness. Twenty-nine patients with current or past history of nonpyschotic, unipolar depression and twenty-nine age-matched subjects with no history of psychiatric illness were included as controls. 18 words were paired with two associative responses (eg. door-knobs, door-knock). During training, word pairs were presented with the first intact, and the second missing two letters (eg. knee-b_n_). Following training, subjects received 18 successive study-test lists consisting of 8 of the word pairs presented during training. Finally, incomplete word pairs appeared on the screen at the rate of 1 pair/3 sec (knee-b_n_). The range of Ham-D scores across patients was 3–26, with BDI scores of 7–49. Patients with MDD performed at the level of controls on tests of habit memory. Recollection memory was significantly impaired in the patient group, however. This impairment was not associated with current illness state but was significantly correlated with past number of depressions. These results suggest that patients with MDD have selective impairment in recollection that is more closely linked with past number of episodes.