Overgeneral Memory Retrieval an Ineffective Problem-Solving in Depressed Patients with Suicidal Ideation: implications for Therapy

• Autores: Hossein Kaviani, M. Rahimi, P. Rahimi Darabad, H. R. Naghavi
• Localización: International journal of psychology and psychological therapy, ISSN 1577-7057, Vol. 11, Nº. 3, 2011, págs. 413-423
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo (pdf)
• Resumen
  • español

    El presente estudio se diseñó con el propósito de ampliar el conocimiento acerca de los aspectos cognifivos de la recuperación de memoria y la solución de problemas en dos grupos de pacientes con depresión: pacientes con ideación suicida y pacientes sin ideación suicida. Ambos grupos cumplían los criterios DSM-IV para el trastorno de depresión mayor sin características psicóticas. Se administraron a los participantes una prueba de memoria autobiográfica, una tarea de solución de problemas, el Inventario de Depresión y la Escala de Desesperanza de Beck, para medir el nivel de especificidad en la recuperación de recuerdos, la efectividad en solución de problemas, depression and hopelessness.

    Los ideadores suicidas puntuaron significativamente más alto en desesperanza que los no ideadores. Se encontró una tendencia global en el grupo de ideadores a recuperar menos memorias específicas en comparación con los no ideadores. Se discuten los resultados de acuerdo al conocido sesgo en la recuperación de memorias negativas en pacientrs depresivos y la emergencia de la ideación suicida como identificador de riesgo para el suicidio..

  • English

    The present study was designed to extend our knowledge around cognitive aspects of memory retrieval and problem-solving in two groups of clinically depressed patients. We administered an autobiographical memory test, a means-ends problem-solving task, Beck Depression Inventory, and Beck Hopelessness Scale to measure respectively level of specificity in memory retrieval, problem-solving effectiveness, depression and hopelessness in clinically depressed patients with suicidal ideation and in a matched control group of depressed patients without suicide ideation. Both groups met DSM-IV criteria for major depression disorder without psychotic features. The depressed suicide-ideators were significantly more hopeless than their non-ideator counterparts. Also an overall tendency was found for the ideator group to retrieve less specific memories compared to the non-ideator group.

    Depressed patients’ bias toward negative memory retrieval is broadly documented. Access to non-specific memories in depressed people can lead to ineffective problem solutions and subsequently hopelessness. By this account, this very vicious cycle continues over time to resonate powerfully, perhaps leading to suicidal attempt. An emergence of suicidal ideation when assessing helps clinicians identify those who are most at risk for suicide.

    They can be targeted then for intensive therapy designed to lower the risk.

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