title: Overgeneral autobiographical memory as a predictor of the course of depression: a meta-analysis.
abstract: Overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM) is a robust phenomenon in depression, but the extent to which OGM predicts the course of depression is not well-established. This meta-analysis synthesized data from 15 studies to examine the degree to which OGM 1) correlates with depressive symptoms at follow-up, and 2) predicts depressive symptoms at follow-up over and above initial depressive symptoms. Although the effects are small, specific and categoric/overgeneral memories generated during the Autobiographical Memory Test significantly predicted the course of depression. Fewer specific memories and more categoric/overgeneral memories were associated with higher follow-up depressive symptoms, and predicted higher follow-up symptoms over and above initial symptoms. Potential moderators were also examined. The age and clinical depression status of participants, as well as the length of follow-up between the two depressive symptom assessments, significantly moderated the predictive relationship between OGM and the course of depression. The predictive relationship between specific memories and follow-up depressive symptoms became greater with increasing age and a shorter length of follow-up, and the predictive relationship was stronger for participants with clinical depression diagnoses than for nonclinical participants. These findings highlight OGM as a predictor of the course of depression, and future studies should investigate the mechanisms underlying this relationship.
authors.affiliation: Northwestern University, Department of Psychology, 2029 Sheridan Road, Suite 102, Evanston, IL 60208, USA. jennifer.sumner@gmail.com
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sumner
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Griffith
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mineka
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D011379:Prognosis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011581:Psychological Tests; D013997:Time Factors
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