Computerized Memory Specificity Training (c-MeST) for major depression: A randomised controlled trial

Hallford, David John; Austin, David W.; Takano, Keisuke; Fuller‐Tyszkiewicz, Matthew; Raes, Filip

doi:10.1016/j.brat.2020.103783

Cited by 23 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…It is striking, therefore, that these problems are not targeted in traditional cognitive-behavioral therapies and that they may even interfere with responsiveness to these interventions (Harvey et al, 2014; Hitchcock, Rudokaite, et al, 2019). The findings presented here therefore support the need for interventions such as Memory Specificity Training (MeST) in a range of different diagnostic groups (Barry, Sze, & Raes, 2019; Hallford et al, 2020; Raes et al, 2009) and support the need for future research that further refines MeST given suggestions that its effects may only be transitory (Barry, Sze, & Raes, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

Autobiographical memory impairments as a transdiagnostic feature of mental illness: A meta-analytic review of investigations into autobiographical memory specificity and overgenerality among people with psychiatric diagnoses.

Barry¹,

Hallford²,

Takano³

2021

Psychological Bulletin

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Decades of research has examined the difficulty that people with psychiatric diagnoses have in recalling specific autobiographical memories of events that lasted less than a day. Instead, they seem to retrieve general events that have occurred many times or which occurred over longer periods of time, termed overgeneral memory. We present the first transdiagnostic meta-analysis of memory specificity/overgenerality and the first meta-regression of proposed causal mechanisms. A keyword search of Embase, PsycARTICLES, and PsycINFO databases yielded 74 studies that compared people with and without psychiatric diagnoses on the retrieval of specific (k = 85) or general memories (k = 56). The majority of studies included participants with Major Depressive Disorder (∼49%), Schizophrenia (∼19%), and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (∼17%) with few studies involving other groups of participants, for example, Anxiety Disorders (∼5%). Multilevel meta-analysis confirmed that people with psychiatric diagnoses typically recall fewer specific, g = −0.864, 95% CI [−1.030, −0.698], and more general, g = 712, 95% CI [0.524, 0.900], memories than diagnoses-free people. The size of these effects did not differ between diagnostic groups. There were no consistent moderators of effect size heterogeneity; effect sizes were not explained by methodological factors such as cue valence or demographic variables such as participants' age or between-group differences in process variables (e.g., rumination). Deficits in autobiographical memory retrieval may be a transdiagnostic factor, but further research in underrepresented diagnostic groups, and with novel experimental manipulations of encoding and retrieval processes, is warranted before full transdiagnosticity and the processes underlying reduced specificity/overgenerality can be established. Public Significance StatementThe data presented here show that people with a range of psychiatric diagnoses experience difficulty retrieving memories of specific autobiographical events from their past. Instead, people with diagnoses tend to retrieve memories of general events that have occurred on multiple occasions or which occur over an extended period of time. These findings indicate a specific cognitive target for intervention in psychiatric problems, especially given that existing treatments do not typically help people in this way. These findings also contribute to a growing body of literature that indicates similarities in cognitive deficits that cut across discrete psychiatric diagnoses.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

Autobiographical memory impairments as a transdiagnostic feature of mental illness: A meta-analytic review of investigations into autobiographical memory specificity and overgenerality among people with psychiatric diagnoses.

Barry¹,

Hallford²,

Takano³

2021

Psychological Bulletin

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“…Given the seemingly modest contribution of OGM to the course of depression, resource-light interventions such as this may be a feasible approach. Along these lines, studies have begun to examine whether simple, computerised interventions to improve memory specificity can remediate OGM (Martens, Barry, Takano, Onghena, & Raes, 2019a;Martens et al, 2019b), with early signs of also alleviating depressive symptoms in clinical samples (Hallford et al, 2020a).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Overgeneral and specific autobiographical memory predict the course of depression: an updated meta-analysis

et al. 2021

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Impairments in retrieving event-level, specific autobiographical memories, termed overgeneral memory (OGM), are recognised as a feature of clinical depression. A previous meta-analytic review assessing how OGM predicts the course of subsequent depressive symptoms showed small effects for correlations and regression analyses when baseline depressive symptoms were controlled for. We aimed to update this study and examine whether their findings replicate given the decade of research that has been published since. A systematic literature review using the same eligibility criteria as the previous meta-analysis led to a doubling of eligible studies (32 v. 15). The results provided more precise estimates of effect sizes, and largely support the finding that OGM predicts the course of depressive symptoms. The effects were generally small, but significantly larger among clinical samples, compared to studies with non-clinical samples. There was some evidence that higher age was associated with stronger effects, and longer follow-up was associated with weaker effects. The findings on other moderating variables that were analysed were mixed. Continued research into this modifiable cognitive process may help to provide an avenue to better understand and treat highly prevalent and impactful depressive disorders.

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“…However, these effects are transient and are not retained in follow-up assessments. It is worth noting that recently, in the work of Hallford et al (2021), the technique was adapted for online application under the name of Computerized Memory Specificity Training (c-MEST). The authors applied it to a sample of 245 patients with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder; these patients were compared to a wait list control group.…”

Section: Memory Specificity Training (Mest)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Positive memory intervention techniques: a scoping review

Miguel-Álvaro

Guillén

Contractor

et al. 2021

Memory

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The scoping review examines and summarises the available knowledge base on intervention techniques focused on positive memories. An iterative series of PsycInfo and Medline searches was conducted up to April 2021 following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Thirty-nine studies, spanning 12 intervention techniques, were selected and described including: (1) theoretical basis; (2) type of study, sample, and measures; (3) intervention protocol; and (4) results of empirical studies if applicable. Results indicated that most techniques have only been tested in one-two studies with modest sample sizes and, when follow-ups are conducted, they are typically short. Results indicate that working with positive memories has the greatest impact on improving positive affect and reducing depressive symptoms, and that these effects are often temporary. This review serves as a quick reference guide to help professionals' access to descriptions and information on empirical evidence of positive memory techniques, improving their therapeutic arsenal to enhance well-being and therapeutic outcomes in their patients.

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Computerized Memory Specificity Training (c-MeST) for major depression: A randomised controlled trial

Cited by 23 publications

References 53 publications

Autobiographical memory impairments as a transdiagnostic feature of mental illness: A meta-analytic review of investigations into autobiographical memory specificity and overgenerality among people with psychiatric diagnoses.

Autobiographical memory impairments as a transdiagnostic feature of mental illness: A meta-analytic review of investigations into autobiographical memory specificity and overgenerality among people with psychiatric diagnoses.

Overgeneral and specific autobiographical memory predict the course of depression: an updated meta-analysis

Positive memory intervention techniques: a scoping review

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