The specificity of personal memories in depression

Abstract

Recent research has suggested that depressive biases in personal memory may be due to an inability to progress beyond a general level when trying to retrieve specific positive memories. This study produced further evidence of this phenomenon. When trying to access specific hedonically toned memories, depressed patients more often responded with a general memory and, especially for positive cues, were unable then to progress to a specific memory, even after prompting. The implications for cognitive therapy for depression are discussed.