Links between depressive symptoms and the observer perspective for autobiographical memories and imagined events: a high familial risk study

Depression is associated with increased observer visual perspective for positive autobiographical memories. However, it is unclear if this relationship (1) is present in individuals at high familial risk of depression; (2) is a general bias extending to future imagined events; and (3) is independent of general cognition and other cognitive biases. We examined the association of observer perspective, valence (positive, negative, neutral) and temporality (memories, future imagined events) with depressive symptoms in 29 young adults at high familial risk for depression. Increased observer perspective for memories was associated with dimensional depressive symptoms controlling for IQ and autobiographical specificity. There was weak evidence that increased observer perspective for future events was associated with a diagnostic measure of depressive symptoms, but limited evidence that perspective by valence interactions were associated with depressive symptoms. Results indicate depressive symptoms are associated with an observer perspective bias in autobiographical thinking regardless of temporality or valence