Hostname: page-component-cb9f654ff-h4f6x Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-08-18T08:32:22.164Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Autobiographical memory and problem-solving strategies of parasuicide patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

J. Evans ,
J. M. G. Williams ,
S. O'Loughlin  and
K. Howells
J. Evans*
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychology Department, Kidderminster General Hospital; Psychology Department, University College of Wales, Bangor; Clinical Psychology Department, University of Birmingham
J. M. G. Williams
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychology Department, Kidderminster General Hospital; Psychology Department, University College of Wales, Bangor; Clinical Psychology Department, University of Birmingham
S. O'Loughlin
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychology Department, Kidderminster General Hospital; Psychology Department, University College of Wales, Bangor; Clinical Psychology Department, University of Birmingham
K. Howells
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychology Department, Kidderminster General Hospital; Psychology Department, University College of Wales, Bangor; Clinical Psychology Department, University of Birmingham
*
1Address for correspondence: Ms Julie Evans, Clinical Psychology Department, Kidderminster General Hospital, Bewdley Road, Kidderminster, Worcs.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Synopsis

Recent research has noted the tendency of parasuicide patients to retrieve over-general autobiographical memories. Separate studies suggest problem-solving deficits within this group.

The present study was concerned first with replicating these findings and, secondly, with developing a model of the relationship between over-general memory recall and poor problem-solving abilities in parasuicide patients. Anger and hopelessness were measured as markers for mood.

In line with the hypotheses, the parasuicide group (N = 12) produced significantly over-general memories in contrast to a matched control group (N = 12). This occurred significantly in relation to positive cues, and latency to first responses was significantly delayed in the parasuicide group. The parasuicide group also provided fewer and less-effective problem-solving strategies than the control group, and a significant association was found between low effectiveness of problem-solving strategies and over-general memory recall in the parasuicide group. Anger and hopelessness levels were significantly higher within the parasuicide group in line with previous findings.

The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Information

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 22 , Issue 2 , May 1992 , pp. 399 - 405
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

American Psychiatric Association (1980). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 3rd edn.APA: Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Beck, A. T., Weissman, A., Lester, D. & Trexler, L. (1974). The measurement of pessimism: the hopelessness scale. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 42, 861–865.Google Scholar
Beck, A. T., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. F. & Emery, G. (1979). Cognitive Therapy of Depression. Guilford Press: New York.Google Scholar
Dyer, J. A. T. & Kreitman, N. (1984). Hopelessness, depression and suicidal intent in parasuicide. British Journal of Psychiatry 144, 127–133.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McLeavey, B. C., Daly, R. J., Murray, C. M., O'Riordan, J. & Taylor, M. (1987). Interpersonal problem-solving deficits in self-poisoning patients. Suicide and Life-threatening Behaviour 17, 33–49.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marx, E. (1987). Problem Solving in Depression. D.Phil, thesis, University of Oxford.Google Scholar
Moore, R. G., Watts, F. N. & Williams, J. M. G. (1988). The specificity of personal memories in depression. British Journal of Clinical Psychology 27, 275–276.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nekanda-Trepka, C. J. S., Bishop, S. & Blackburn, I. M. (1983). Hopelessness and depression. British Journal of Clinical Psychology 22, 49–60.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Norman, D. A. & Bobrow, D. G. (1979). Descriptions: an intermediate stage in memory retrieval. Cognitive Psychology 11, 107–123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paykel, E. S., Prusoff, B. A. & Myers, J. K. (1975). Suicide attempts and recent life events: a controlled comparison. Archives of General Psychiatry 32, 327–333.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Platt, J. & Spivack, G. (1975). Unidimensionality of the means-end problem solving procedure (MEPS). Journal of Clinical Psychology 9, 15–16.3.0.CO;2-8>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Platt, J., Spivack, G. & Bloom, W. (1975). Manual for the Means-Ends Problem-Solving Procedure (MEPS): A Measure of Interpersonal Problem-Solving Skill. Hahnemann Medical College Hospital, Department of Mental Health Sciences, Hahnemann Community MH/MR Center: Philadelphia.Google Scholar
Salkovskis, P. M., Atha, C. & Storer, D. (1990). Cognitive behavioural problem solving in the treatment of patients who repeatedly attempt suicide: a controlled trial. British Journal of Psychiatry 157, 871–876.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schotte, D. E. & Clum, G. A. (1987). Problem-solving skills in suicidal psychiatric patients. Journal of Consulting Clinical Psychology 55, 49–54.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Spielberger, C. D., Jacobs, F. A., Russell, S. & Crane, R. S. (1979). Assessment of anger: the state-trait anger scale. In Advances in Personality Assessment, 2 (ed. Butcher, J. and Spielberger, C. D.), pp. 161–189. Erlbaum: Hillsdale, NJ.Google Scholar
Teasdale, J. D. & Russell, M. L. (1983). Differential effects of induced mood on recall of positive, negative and neutral words British Journal of Clinical Psychology 22, 163–172.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, J. M. G. & Broadbent, K. (1986). Autobiographical memory in attempted suicide. Journal of Abnormal Psychology 95, 144–149.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, J. M. G. & Dritschel, B. (1988). Emotional disturbance and the specificity of autobiographical memory. Cognition and Emotion 2, 221–234.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, J. M. G. & Scott, J. (1988). Autobiographical memory in depression. Psychological Medicine 18, 689–695.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, M. D. & Hollan, J. D. (1981). The process of retrieval from very long-term memory. Cognitive Science 5, 87–119.Google Scholar