Autobiographical narratives in major depression: changes in memory specificity during outpatient psychodynamic psychotherapy
Previous studies have shown that patients with depression recall fewer specific autobiographical memories, a phenomenon known as overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM). OGM refers to the retrieval of categorical memories (repeated events) and extended memories (events lasting more than 24 h), rat...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article (Journal) |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
06 December 2025
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| In: |
BMC psychiatry
Year: 2025, Volume: 25, Issue: 1, Pages: 1-13 |
| ISSN: | 1471-244X |
| DOI: | 10.1186/s12888-025-07666-7 |
| Online Access: | Resolving-System, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-07666-7 Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12888-025-07666-7 
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| Author Notes: | Magdalena Lutz, Jonathan R. Nowak, Ivo Dönnhoff, Hans-Christoph Friederich, Valentin Terhoeven and Christoph Nikendei |
| Summary: | Previous studies have shown that patients with depression recall fewer specific autobiographical memories, a phenomenon known as overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM). OGM refers to the retrieval of categorical memories (repeated events) and extended memories (events lasting more than 24 h), rather than specific, single-event recollections. This pattern has been linked to dysfunctional emotion regulation and childhood trauma. While most research has used the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) to assess OGM, such standardized cue-word paradigms are limited in capturing how autobiographical memories unfold in real-life psychotherapeutic settings. This study introduces a novel methodology to assess autobiographical memories as they naturally emerge during videotaped psychodynamic psychotherapy sessions. |
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| Item Description: | Gesehen am 29.01.2026 |
| Physical Description: | Online Resource |
| ISSN: | 1471-244X |
| DOI: | 10.1186/s12888-025-07666-7 |