Autobiographical memory processes and the course of depression

The authors report a 6-month follow-up study of clinically depressed patien ts. Al baseline, 2 indexes of autobiographical memory functioning were asse ssed: the presence of spontaneous intrusive memories of stressful life even ts and performance on the Autobiographical Memory Test (J. M. G. Williams & K. Broadbent, 1986), which measures overgeneral memory. The index of overg eneral memory was associated with greater levels of spontaneous intrusion o f stressful memories. Overgeneral memory did not predict outcome, but depre ssion at follow-up was predicted by the amount of intrusion and avoidance o f stressful memories, even after controlling for initial severity of psychi atric symptoms.