title: Intrusion-based reasoning and depression: cross-sectional and prospective relationships.
abstract: Intrusion-based reasoning refers to the tendency to form interpretations about oneself or a situation based on the occurrence of a negative intrusive autobiographical memory. Intrusion-based reasoning characterises post-traumatic stress disorder, but has not yet been investigated in depression. We report two studies that aimed to investigate this. In Study 1 both high (n = 42) and low (n = 28) dysphoric participants demonstrated intrusion-based reasoning. High-dysphoric individuals engaged in self-referent intrusion-based reasoning to a greater extent than did low-dysphoric participants. In Study 2 there were no significant differences in intrusion-based reasoning between currently depressed (n = 27) and non-depressed (n = 51) participants, and intrusion-based reasoning did not predict depressive symptoms at 6-month follow-up. Interestingly, previously (n = 26) but not currently (n = 27) depressed participants engaged in intrusion-based reasoning to a greater extent than never-depressed participants (n = 25), indicating the possibility that intrusion-based reasoning may serve as a "scar" from previous episodes. The implications of these findings are discussed.
authors.affiliation: a School of Psychology , The University of New South Wales , Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berle
authors.forename: Michelle L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Moulds
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013850:Thinking; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Autobiographical memory; Depression; Intrusion-based reasoning; Mental intrusions; Remission