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Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Emotional Autobiographical Recollection
Published on: August 26, 2011
Autobiographical memory and suicide attempts in schizophrenia
Kenneth Pettersen1, Nora Nord Rydningen, Tore Buer Christensen
1National Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway.
Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior
|September 9, 2010
Summary
Patients with schizophrenia who attempted suicide showed over-generalized autobiographical memory. This finding supports the cry of pain model in schizophrenia, indicating memory deficits are linked to suicidal behavior in this population.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- The cry of pain model links suicidal behavior to over-general autobiographical memory.
- Previous research primarily focused on depressed patients.
- Autobiographical memory deficits may be relevant to suicide attempts in schizophrenia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between autobiographical memory and suicide attempts in schizophrenia patients.
- To determine if deficits in autobiographical memory are more prevalent in schizophrenia patients with a history of suicide attempts.
Main Methods:
- Comparative study design.
- Assessment of autobiographical memory function in schizophrenia patients.
- Comparison between patients with and without previous suicide attempts.
Main Results:
- Schizophrenia patients with prior suicide attempts exhibited significantly over-generalized autobiographical memory.
- This association remained robust after adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical factors.
Conclusions:
- Autobiographical memory over-generalization is associated with suicide attempts in schizophrenia.
- Findings support the cry of pain model's applicability to suicidal behavior in schizophrenia.
- Memory function deficits represent a potential target for intervention in at-risk schizophrenia populations.
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