The Effectiveness of Autobiographical Memory Training on Cognitive Abilities, Emotion Regulation, and Emotional Dysphoria in Depressed Adolescent Girls

Patients with depression have difficulties with cognitive abilities and emotion regulation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of autobiographical memory training on cognitive abilities, emotion regulation, and emotional dysphoria in depressed adolescent girls.

The research design was quasi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design and follow-up with the control group. The statistical population of this study included all depressed adolescent girls in Yazd, Iran. The sample size based on the type of research was 26 adolescent girls who were selected by the available sampling method and randomly divided into two groups of 13 people. Trainee memory customization training was performed. Moreover, a follow-up period was performed to evaluate the stability of the results two months after the training. Both groups answered the Rescue Cognitive Abilities Questionnaire (2013), the Graz and Roemer (2004) Emotional Regulatory Questionnaire, and the Toronto Emotional Dysfunction Scale (1994) before and after the training process.

Biographical memory specificity training has a significant effect on cognitive abilities, emotion regulation, and emotional dysphoria in depressed adolescent girls. 

Autobiographical memory specificity training can be used as an indicator to diagnose and follow up on the consequences of depressive disorder.