Efficacy of Memory Specificity Training (MEST) on Underlying Mechanisms of Overgeneral Autobiographical Memory (OGM) in People with Major Depression and Childhood Traumatic Experience

Overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM) is a persistent factor in depression that correlates with ruminative thinking, functional avoiding and pathological executive control. Depression is one of mental health problems that tend to be chronic and recurrent. In this way, the study of the history of life is the most important point that is forgotten in previous researches. The aim of this study was to measure the effectiveness of efficacy of memory specificity training (MEST) on overgeneral autobiographical memory changing and to improve the psychological aspects associated with depression regarding to childhood history. Among 64 patients with major depression and childhood traumatic experience, 24 patients were selected and randomly assigned to two groups. The intervention group received five weekly sessions and control group remained in the waiting list. At baseline, both groups completed Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Persian version of Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Brief Hospice Inventory (BHI), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised (SPSI-R) and Ruminative Response Scale (RRS). Repeated measures and partial correlation tests were implemented. Depression scores reduced from 27.83 ± 4.82 (in pre-test) to 17.00 ± 6.07 in post-test and 12.91 ± 4.18 in follow-up (P = 0.01). Specific memory means was elevated from 3.5 in pre-test to 5.5 in post-test and 7.0 in follow-up (P = 0.01 for all). Memory specificity training treatment can, with reducing the overgeneral autobiographical memory and enhancing the memory specificity, redound to improvement of depression and associated psychological variables as instance rumination, avoidance and avoidance-based problem-solving.