The relationship between autobiographical memory specificity and depressed mood following a stressful life event: A prospective study

Minnen, Agnes van; Wessel, Ineke; Verhaak, Chris M.; Smeenk, J.M.J.

doi:10.1348/014466505x29648

Cited by 80 publications

(81 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…In this context, it is important to refer to a recent study by Van Minnen et al [2005] who observed that being less specific predicted more depressed reactions after receiving news of failure of in vitro fertilisation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Autobiographical memory specificity and affect regulation: coping with a negative life event

Hermans¹,

Decker²,

Peuter³

et al. 2008

Depress. Anxiety

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Two decades of research have shown that depressed patients experience significant difficulties retrieving specific autobiographical memories. Importantly, reduced autobiographical memory (AM) specificity is a known vulnerability factor for depression and is predictive of a more chronic course. One of the models that has been put forward to explain the origin of this reduced specificity is the affect-regulation model, which assumes that being less specific might help to prevent negative or painful emotions by recalling events in a less specific way. This avoidant memory style might have beneficial effects in the short run (less emotional impact of stressful events) but is detrimental in the long run. The affect-regulation model, and more in particular the beneficial short-term effect of reduced memory specificity, was investigated in a prospective study. Students were followed over a period of 9 weeks after they failed at their first exams at university. In line with the affect-regulation model, memory specificity predicted the course of symptoms that were experienced as a result of failing these exams. The less specific the student, the less durable the emotional distress over this 9-week period. The correlational nature of this study limits to some extent the conclusions that can be drawn. The results offer support for the affect-regulation account of reduced autobiographical memory specificity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Autobiographical memory specificity and affect regulation: coping with a negative life event

Hermans¹,

Decker²,

Peuter³

et al. 2008

Depress. Anxiety

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show abstract

“…At a process level, maladaptive rumination involves predominantly high-level construal about self and mood (e.g., why an action is performed, what might be its ends and consequences) and reduced concreteness of thinking (for a review, see Watkins 2008). Such thinking is likely to engender negative overgeneralization (e.g., I'm always failing), which is known to increase the vulnerability towards developing an emotional disorder (e.g., Gibbs and Rude 2004;van Minnen et al 2005). In contrast, low-level construal involves concrete representations (e.g., representations of the specific "how" details of an action, and of the means to an end).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in Ruminative Thinking Mediate the Clinical Benefits of Mindfulness: Preliminary Findings

2010

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We investigated whether the clinical benefits of mindfulness training are mediated by a reduction in maladaptive rumination and an increase in adaptive rumination. Participants in eight-session mindfulness training were assessed before and after treatment, while waiting-list controls were assessed at similar times. For the mindfulness training, a treatment manual was derived from the mindfulness-based cognitive therapy procedure and adapted to account for the consequences of stress, anxiety, and depression rather than just depression. Replicating previous findings, results indicate that mindfulness training, as compared to the waiting-list condition, reduces general psychopathology. It was also found that mindfulness training reduces maladaptive rumination and increases adaptive rumination. Mediational analyses further suggest that clinical benefits of mindfulness required changes in ruminative mode of processing. Results are discussed in terms of Teasdale et al.'s assumption that mindfulness training is effective because it reduces maladaptive rumination.

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“…This finding has been replicated in several additional studies (e.g., Dalgleish et al 2001;Mackinger et al 2004;Peeters et al 2002). Overgeneral memory has been found to predict future depressive symptoms in nonclinical samples following failed in vitro fertilization (van Minnen et al 2005), the birth of a child (Mackinger et al 2000), and negative life events (Gibbs and Rude 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 75%

“…It is unfortunate, however, that the current study provides no data to address the important question as to whether or not increased autobiographical memory specificity has a protective effect on the development of future depressive symptoms. Previous studies that have found overgeneral memory to be predictive of subsequent depression have found this effect in interaction with stressful life events (e.g., Gibbs and Rude 2004;van Minnen et al 2005). Hence, it will be important for future studies to include assessment of stressful life events.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

The Benefits of Expressive Writing on Autobiographical Memory Specificity: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Maestas

Rude

2011

Cogn Ther Res

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This study provided a preliminary investigation of an expressive writing intervention, which has been found to reduce rumination and avoidance, in reducing overgeneral memory among 207 non-depressed college students. Participants were randomized to one of three writing conditions: traditional expressive writing, specific expressive writing, or control writing. Study results showed that compared to participants in the control writing condition, participants in the traditional and specific expressive writing conditions demonstrated significantly greater autobiographical memory specificity at the 6-month follow-up. Results revealed that the effect of the traditional expressive writing intervention on increased autobiographical memory specificity was partially mediated by a reduction in avoidance, but not rumination.

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The relationship between autobiographical memory specificity and depressed mood following a stressful life event: A prospective study

Abstract: Taken together, the findings indicate that a lack of autobiographical memory specificity predicts changes in depressive mood after a stressful event.

Cited by 80 publications

References 39 publications

Autobiographical memory specificity and affect regulation: coping with a negative life event

Autobiographical memory specificity and affect regulation: coping with a negative life event

Changes in Ruminative Thinking Mediate the Clinical Benefits of Mindfulness: Preliminary Findings

The Benefits of Expressive Writing on Autobiographical Memory Specificity: A Randomized Controlled Trial

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