Overgeneral memory for public and autobiographical events in depression and schizophrenia

Abstract

Introduction. Memory for public and autobiographical events was investigated in people diagnosed with depression, schizophrenia, and a group of healthy controls. The aim was to determine whether the overgeneral memory effect emerged in clinical conditions other than depression and in memory domains other than autobiographical.

Methods. 36 participants, 12 in each group, were administered four measures comprising the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT), the Autobiographical Memory Interview (AMI), and a Public Events Memory Test; the latter developed by the authors and based on the AMT.

Results. A pattern of overgeneral autobiographical memory retrieval was found in both clinical groups. A similar pattern in retrieval of public events was also found in people diagnosed with depression and schizophrenia, indicating that overgeneral memory was characteristic of neither clinical condition nor was it associated with a particular memory domain.

Conclusions. The findings suggest that overgeneral memory retrieval may represent a fundamental flaw in memory that arises when resources are limited. These findings are discussed in light of current theories of overgeneral memory retrieval.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr Adam Morgan for his assistance in recruiting participants.