Memory processes and the course of anxiety and depression in cancer patients

Background. Intrusive memories of stressful events, many involving illness and death, are found in a minority of depressed cancer patients, and may predict the course of anxiety and depression. Method. Matched samples of mild to moderately depressed and non-depressed cancer patients were followed up...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychological medicine 1998-01, Vol.28 (1), p.219-224
Main Authors: BREWIN, C. R., WATSON, M., McCARTHY, S., HYMAN, P., DAYSON, D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Anxiety Disorders - diagnosis
Anxiety Disorders - epidemiology
Biological and medical sciences
Cancer
Comorbidity
Depression
Depressive Disorder - diagnosis
Depressive Disorder - epidemiology
Factors
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Illness and personality
Illness, stress and coping
Life Change Events
Life stress
Male
Memory
Mental Recall
Middle Aged
Neoplasms - epidemiology
Neoplasms - psychology
Patients
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales - statistics & numerical data
Psychology and medicine
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Recall
Severity of Illness Index
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Summary:Background. Intrusive memories of stressful events, many involving illness and death, are found in a minority of depressed cancer patients, and may predict the course of anxiety and depression. Method. Matched samples of mild to moderately depressed and non-depressed cancer patients were followed up after 6 months. Anxiety and depression at follow-up were related to measures of intrusive memories of stressful life events and autobiographical memory functioning that had been assessed at baseline. Results. Levels of anxiety and depression remained fairly constant over time in the two groups, and the depressed group continued to experience high levels of intrusive memories. The presence of intrusive memories at baseline, and the extent to which these memories were consciously avoided, predicted greater anxiety at follow-up, even after controlling for initial severity of physical and psychiatric symptoms. None of the measures of memory functioning predicted levels of depression at follow-up. Conclusions. Intrusive memories appear to be a marker of more prolonged psychopathology in cancer patients and may respond to direct therapeutic intervention.
ISSN:0033-2917
1469-8978
DOI:10.1017/S0033291797006028