Autobiographical memory in depressed and nondepressed patients with borderline personality disorder after long‐term psychotherapy

Abstract

The present study investigated whether scores on the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) in 55 patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) were modified after long‐term psychotherapy and whether the pretreatment AMT scores would predict improvement in depression severity or BPD symptom severity at the end of treatment. In addition, it was analysed whether changes in ratings of mood, thought suppression, dissociation, and BPD symptom severity following treatment were associated with changes in AMT scores. Only patients with BPD and a comorbid diagnosis of depression at time 1, generated significantly more specific memories and fewer categoric memories after 15 months of therapy. Moreover, these changes were unrelated to type of therapy and changes in depression severity, borderline symptom severity, dissociation, or thought suppression. The AMT scores at initial assessment did not predict depression severity at 15 months. The percentage of negative specific memories tended to predict BPD symptom severity.

Notes

Ismay P. Kremers is now at the Departments of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, University of Groningen Medical Center, Groningen, The Netherlands.

The present study was supported by a grant from the fund for evaluative research in medicine of the Dutch Healthcare Insurance Board, awarded to A. Arntz (principal investigator, Maastricht University), R. Van Dyck (VU‐Medical Centre), and Ph. Spinhoven (Leiden University). We wish to thank J. Giesen‐Bloo, M. Nadort, the research assistants, and all therapists for their invaluable help.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Richard Van Dyck

Ismay P. Kremers is now at the Departments of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, University of Groningen Medical Center, Groningen, The Netherlands. The present study was supported by a grant from the fund for evaluative research in medicine of the Dutch Healthcare Insurance Board, awarded to A. Arntz (principal investigator, Maastricht University), R. Van Dyck (VU‐Medical Centre), and Ph. Spinhoven (Leiden University). We wish to thank J. Giesen‐Bloo, M. Nadort, the research assistants, and all therapists for their invaluable help.