Reduced specificity of autobiographical memory: a mediator between rumination and ineffective social problem-solving in major depression?
BACKGROUND
Depressed individuals display a deficit in effectively solving social problem situations (e.g., []). Recent research suggests that rumination may interfere with such effective problem-solving (e.g., []). However, little is known, as yet, about the mechanisms that are underlying this relation between rumination and poor problem-solving. The present study investigated the role of reduced specificity of autobiographical memories as a mediator of this relationship.


METHODS
24 depressed patients (15 women) completed the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT), the Means-Ends Problem-Solving Task (MEPS), the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS) and the Rumination on Sadness Scale (RSS).


RESULTS
Consistent with previous studies, rumination, ineffective problem-solving and reduced memory specificity were significantly associated. Regression analyses further extended these findings by showing that reduced memory specificity mediated the association between rumination and problem-solving effectiveness.


CONCLUSIONS
The correlational nature of this study limits to some extent the conclusions that can be drawn on the directionality of the observed relationships.


CONCLUSIONS
Results offer support for the idea that lack of autobiographical memory specificity mediates the known relationship between rumination and poor problem-solving.
Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. filip.raes@psy.kuleuven.be
Filip
F
Raes
Dirk
D
Hermans
J Mark G
JM
Williams
Koen
K
Demyttenaere
Bernard
B
Sabbe
Guido
G
Pieters
Paul
P
Eelen
D001325:Autobiographies as Topic; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011340:Problem Solving; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012919:Social Behavior