Depression and the Test of Memory Malingering

Research on the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) [Tombaugh, T. N., 1996. The Test of Memory Malingering. Toronto, Canada: Multi-Health Systems], has consistently shown that it is sensitive to exaggerated or deliberate faking of memory impairment, but it is relatively unaffected by a wide variety of neurological impairments causing genuine memory dysfunction. However, there is little research on the effects that affective disorders have on the TOMM. The current study examined how inpatients diagnosed with major depression performed on the TOMM. Results show that the TOMM is unaffected by affective state. These results, combined with those from previous research, provide converging evidence that performance on the TOMM below a cutoff score of 45 cannot be attributable to depression, neurological impairment, age or education.