Self-reported everyday memory and depression in patients with multiple sclerosis.
Depression and memory difficulties are among the most common complaints voiced by patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Nevertheless, little is known about how depression might affect patients' perceptions of their memory difficulties. The present investigation was designed to explore this issue. Results supported a model that integrates aspects of Beck's theory of depression and the concept of depressive realism. Consistent with the depressive realism literature, nondepressed MS patients significantly overestimated their everyday memory compared with their actual performance on verbal memory and attention/concentration indices, whereas moderately depressed patients' everyday memory ratings mirrored their actual neuropsychological performance. Supporting Beck's negative cognitive schema notion, mildly depressed patients significantly overestimated their memory difficulties. Implications for the treatment of memory problems among MS patients are discussed.
Bruce
Jared M
JM
Psychology Department, College of the Liberal Arts, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802-3105, USA.
Arnett
Peter A
PA
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001325:Autobiographies as Topic; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003210:Concept Formation; D003863:Depression / Q000145:classification / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires