Positive autobiographical memory deficits in youth with depression histories and their never-depressed siblings

ObjectivesImpaired positive autobiographical memory (AM) is closely linked to emotional disorders. AM impairments are often found in depressed adults and may be related to thedifficulties such persons have in regulating their dysphoric mood. By contrast, less is known about AM disturbances among adolescents, or about the functional relationship of AM disturbances to early-onset depression. DesignA high-risk family design served to compare four groups of youth who differed in depression histories and familial depression risk. MethodsThirty-one currently depressed probands, 185 remitted probands, 204 never-depressed siblings of probands, and 180 healthy control youth were induced into a negative mood prior to recalling positive AMs via a novel memory elicitation procedure. Several positive AM characteristics were assessed. ResultsRelative to control youth, unaffected siblings and probands exhibited consistently impaired positive AMs. Moreover, wealso found some evidence that probands were more impaired than siblings, who were in turn more impaired than controls, consistent with a gradient effect. ConclusionsPositive AM disturbances may not only precede the onset of depression in vulnerable youth, but also continue to persist after remission of a depressive episode. Clinical and basic research implications of the findings are discussed.