title: The relationship between autobiographical memory specificity and depressed mood following a stressful life event: a prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the present prospective study, the relationship between autobiographical memory specificity and the emotional reactions to a stressful event was investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) was administered to 74 women before they underwent an in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, which subsequently failed. Symptoms of emotional reactions - depression and anxiety - were measured both before and after the (failed) IVF treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was found that the number of reported specific memories at baseline was negatively related to depressive and anxiety symptoms after the treatment, even when initial depressive and anxiety symptoms and verbal fluency were controlled for.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taken together, the findings indicate that a lack of autobiographical memory specificity predicts changes in depressive mood after a stressful event.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands. avminnen@ggznijmegen.nl
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van Minnen
authors.forename: Ineke
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wessel
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Verhaak
authors.forename: Jesper
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smeenk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D012649:Self Concept; D013315:Stress, Psychological