Overgeneral autobiographical memory at baseline predicts depressive symptoms at follow-up in patients with first-episode depression
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM) is a characteristic of depression. However, there are no studies to explore the association between baseline OGM and depressive symptoms at follow-up in patients with first-episode depression (FE). This study investigated whether baseline OGM predicts depressive symptoms at follow-up in patients with FE. We recruited 125 patients with FE. The participants were divided into remitted group and non-remitted group according to the severity of their depression at 12 months follow-up. The measures consisted of the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Ruminative Response Scale, and Autobiographical Memory Test. Hierarchical linear regression analyses and bootstrap mediation analyses were conducted. The results showed that non-remitted patients had more OGM at baseline. Baseline OGM predicted depressive symptoms at follow-up in patients with FE. Rumination mediated the relationship between baseline OGM and depressive symptoms at follow-up. Our findings highlight OGM as a vulnerability factor involved in the maintenance of depression in patients with FE.
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Depression has been associated with overgeneral autobiographical memory, manifested by a reduction in the quantity of specific memories.
“Secondly, depression has been associated with over general autobiographical memory, manifested by a reduction in the quantity of specific memories (4).”
From A virtual reality-based self-guided training on identification of negative automatic thoughts in healthy adults: a mixed-methods feasibility study (2024) · cites this paper as [4]
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- Authors
- Liu, Y., Zhang, F., Wang, Z., Cao, L., Wang, J., Na, A., Sun, Y., & Zhao, X.
- Affiliations
- Tongji University (CN)
- Nanjing Medical University (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Zhao, Xudong
- Venue
- Psychiatry Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-09
- Volume
- 243
- Pages
- 123-127
- ISSN
- 0165-1781 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2470011311
- Cited by
- 26
- References
- 36
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 6 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 2
- FWCI
- 9.36
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychiatry Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Keywords
- overgeneral autobiographical memory, first-episode depression, depressive symptoms, rumination, depression remission, vulnerability factors, depression maintenance, mediation
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Depression, Depressive Disorder, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neuropsychological Tests, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Young Adult, Memory, Episodic
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