Links between depressive symptoms and the observer perspective for autobiographical memories and imagined events: a high familial risk study

Abstract

Depression is associated with increased observer visual perspective for positive autobiographical memories. However, it is unclear if this relationship (1) is present in individuals at high familial risk of depression; (2) is a general bias extending to future imagined events; and (3) is independent of general cognition and other cognitive biases. We examined the association of observer perspective, valence (positive, negative, neutral) and temporality (memories, future imagined events) with depressive symptoms in 29 young adults at high familial risk for depression. Increased observer perspective for memories was associated with dimensional depressive symptoms controlling for IQ and autobiographical specificity. There was weak evidence that increased observer perspective for future events was associated with a diagnostic measure of depressive symptoms, but limited evidence that perspective by valence interactions were associated with depressive symptoms. Results indicate depressive symptoms are associated with an observer perspective bias in autobiographical thinking regardless of temporality or valence.

Fade In, Fade Out: Do Shifts in Visual Perspective Predict the Consistency of Real-World Memories?

“…Jacques & Levine, 2007; Wardell, Madan, et al, 2021), exploring nuances in the relationship between detail consistency, perspective, and emotion in autobiographical memories are exciting avenues for future research. Indeed, some evidence indicates that voluntary autobiographical memories are more likely to be associated with observer than own perspectives in some clinical populations, including those with depression (Kuyken & Moulds, 2009; Warne & Rice, 2022) and posttraumatic stress disorder (Berntsen et al, 2003). Understanding the timing of shifts toward observer perspectives, and whether the shift coincides, drives, or follows changes in consistency, will be important to explore in order to bridge the current work with these clinical data.…”

Cognitive-Emotional Benefits of Weekly Exposure to Nature: A Taiwanese Study on Young Adults

“…The Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) (1 week pre-test, immediately after each session, and 1 month post-test) [79] was employed to assess specific or overgeneral autobiographical memory, which are considered cognitive vulnerability factors and concurrent depressive symptoms [80,81]. The AMT has been administered to adolescents [82,83] and young adults [84,85]. It differentiated in a Taiwanese population the depressed from the non-depressed, who reported fewer specific and more categorical autobiographical memories [86].…”