Abstract

LOLICH, María; AZZOLLINI, Susana  and  VAZQUEZ, Gustavo. Phenomenological profiles of autobiographical memories in individuals with depression. Temas psicol. [online]. 2017, vol.25, n.2, pp. 459-472. ISSN 1413-389X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.9788/TP2017.2-04Es.

Autobiographical memories are deeply linked with emotional regulation processes and self-concept. Conversely, in case of affective disorders, the access to specific phenomenological components would be impaired. Intentional non-probabilistic sampling was carried out, involving 94 individuals with major depression and 188 healthy individuals in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The phenomenological components of significant autobiographical recollections were contrasted, considering their quantity and intensity. In addition, the depressive individuals' performances were compared according to the presence or absence of previous depressive episodes, psychopharmacological treatment and severity of symptoms. Statistically significant differences were found in the total amount and intensity of the recalled phenomenological components, in which the clinical group presented reduced memory (p< .001). Besides, the dimensions: Valence, Visual Imagery, Sensoriality, Inter-subjectivity and Clarity also presented significant differences. Notwithstanding, non-significant differences were observed during the secondary analysis in relation to the clinical variables. Individuals with depression showed a distinctive phenomenological memory pattern in comparison to controls. Considering phenomenological memory modalities in the light of cognitive models of Mindfulness and Imagery entails relevant clinical implications.

Keywords : Autobiographical memory; specificity; experience; depression.

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