Autobiographical memory dysfunctions in depressive disorders

Autobiographical memory is a ubiquitous human experience which belongs to long-term declarative memory. It plays interpersonal and intrapsychic functions. The main aim of this study is to present results of contemporary research on autobiographical memory in recurrent depressive disorders (rDD). The available research literature suggests that autobiographical memory dysfunctions are a precursor and risk factor for rDD and that they also appear to be a consequence of depressive symptoms in a bidirectional and interacting manner. These data suggest that autobiographical memory might be a viable therapeutic target for cognitive remediation strategies, given the impact of cognition on diverse clinical outcomes.