Intrusive memories and depression in cancer patients

Matched samples of depressed and nondepressed cancer patients were interviewed about past life events, particularly experiences of death and illness. They identified and described any spontaneous intrusive visual memories they had experienced in the past week corresponding to these events. About one...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Behaviour research and therapy 1998-12, Vol.36 (12), p.1131-1142
Main Authors: Brewin, Chris R., Watson, Maggie, McCarthy, Siobhan, Hyman, Philippa, Dayson, David
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Biological and medical sciences
Cancer
Depression
Depression - diagnosis
Depression - psychology
Female
Humans
Life Change Events
Male
Medical sciences
Memory
Mental depression
Mental Recall
Middle Aged
Mood disorders
Neoplasms - psychology
Personality Assessment
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Sick Role
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - diagnosis
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Matched samples of depressed and nondepressed cancer patients were interviewed about past life events, particularly experiences of death and illness. They identified and described any spontaneous intrusive visual memories they had experienced in the past week corresponding to these events. About one quarter reported such memories and, as predicted, the majority of intrusive memories concerned illness, injury and death. The mean levels of intrusion and avoidance were equivalent to patients with post-traumatic stress disorder. Consistent with prediction, depressed patients reported significantly more intrusive memories than controls, and described the memories as typically beginning with or being exacerbated by the onset of depression. Greater numbers of intrusive memories were associated with more maladaptive coping, and greater avoidance with deficits in autobiographical memory functioning.
ISSN:0005-7967
1873-622X
DOI:10.1016/S0005-7967(98)00084-9