title: Memory biases in remitted depression: the role of negative cognitions at explicit and automatic processing levels.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cognitive models propose that depression is caused by dysfunctional schemas that endure beyond the depressive episode, representing vulnerability factors for recurrence. However, research testing negative cognitions linked to dysfunctional schemas in formerly depressed individuals is still scarce. Furthermore, negative cognitions are presumed to be linked to biases in recalling negative self-referent information in formerly depressed individuals, but no studies have directly tested this association. In the present study, we evaluated differences between formerly and never-depressed individuals in several experimental indices of negative cognitions and their associations with the recall of emotional self-referent material.
  
  
  METHODS
  Formerly (n = 30) and never depressed individuals (n = 40) completed measures of explicit (i.e., scrambled sentence test) and automatic (i.e., lexical decision task) processing to evaluate negative cognitions. Furthermore participants completed a self-referent incidental recall task to evaluate memory biases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Formerly compared to never depressed individuals showed greater negative cognitions at both explicit and automatic levels of processing. Results also showed greater recall of negative self-referent information in formerly compared to never-depressed individuals. Finally, individual differences in negative cognitions at both explicit and automatic levels of processing predicted greater recall of negative self-referent material in formerly depressed individuals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Analyses of the relationship between explicit and automatic processing indices and memory biases were correlational and the majority of participants in both groups were women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings provide evidence of negative cognitions in formerly depressed individuals at both automatic and explicit levels of processing that may confer a cognitive vulnerability to depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: nuria.romero@pdi.ucm.es.
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: Carmelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vazquez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001332:Automatism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015982:Bias; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003657:Decision Making; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014706:Verbal Learning; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Depression; Memory biases; Negative schemas; Vulnerability to depression