Autobiographical memory functioning in depression and reports of early abuse

The authors investigated the memory functioning of depressed women patients with and without a reported history of child physical or sexual abuse using J. M. G. Williams and K. Broadbent's (1986) Autobiographical Memory Test. Whereas latency to recall autobiographical memories was not related to reports of abuse, patients who reported childhood sexual abuse produced more overgeneral memories to positive and negative cues. In addition, patients reporting high levels of avoidance of spontaneous memories of childhood physical or sexual abuse in the past week retrieved more overgeneral memories to positive and negative cues.