The moderating effect of overgeneral autobiographical memory and rumination on depressive symptoms among disaster survivors

• Main Author: Baldo, Jezzebelle T.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2019
• Subjects: Autobiographical memory; Disaster victims; Rumination (Psychology); Depression, Mental; Clinical Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/7122
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study seeks to investigate on the influence of overgeneral autobiographical memories (OGM) on the development of depressive symptoms among disaster survivors and the moderating role of rumination in the relationship. Based on the control theory of self-regulation, it was hypothesized that being less specific in recalling memories relates to the levels of depressive symptoms and ruminating about their experiences further intensifies the impact of OGM on depressive symptoms. One hundred and eighteen (n=118) Filipino disaster survivors completed the questionnaires that measured the levels of depressive symptoms, rumination and memory specificity. Results were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression which revealed that OGM did not relate to the levels of depressive symptoms and the effects are primarily caused by rumination. A supplementary analysis further highlighted that recalling more OGM intensifies the depressive symptoms initially caused by rumination among disaster survivors with depression. Such findings indicate that rumination serves as a risk factor for depression while OGM promotes more abstract thoughts that could affect their interpretation of their current situation as well as their response to it. The implications of the findings and the role of rumination and memory specificity were further discussed, emphasizing the importance of memory specificity in psychological intervention.