THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PREMORBID NEUROTICISM, COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTIONAND PERSISTENCE OF DEPRESSION - A 1-YEAR FOLLOW-UP

In a previous report of patients with unipolar major depressive disord er, we found that deficits in autobiographical memory predicted depres sion levels over a 7-month interval. This follow-up examined predictor s of recovery as defined by a period of 8 weeks with no or minimal sym ptoms of depression and examined the extra predictor variable, neuroti cism. In a sample of 21 patients, episode duration was significantly c orrelated with high levels of premorbid neuroticism, dysfunctional att itudes and overgeneral autobiographical memories produced in response to emotionally negative cue words. When severity of depression was par tialled out, high N score was significantly but independently correlat ed with each of these cognitive variables. The implication of these at titudinal and information processing biases were explored.