Introduction. In the Brief Behavioral Activation Treatment for Depression, depressed patients are lead to a reflection on their personal values per life domains (e.g., family relationships, employment). The aim of this reflection is to tailor behavioral assignments through valued activities. This reflection is usually difficult for depressed patients. The current study hypothesized that exercises on autobiographical memories might act as a means to facilitate the reflection on personal values. In this perspective, self-defining memories (SDMs) and self-defining future projections (SDFPs) appear to be particularly relevant. SDMs and SDFPs concern reflections on the past and on the potential future central goals, values and conflicts of one’s life. SDMs and SDFPs are vivid and well-rehearsed autobiographical memories related to a meaning-making (i.e., a learned lesson about oneself, others or the world). The emotional valence of SDMs and SDFPs can either be positive, neutral or negative. Further, SDMs and SDFPs can consist in either specific events or categorical ones. Due to the relevance of these memories for the self, it is to be expected that recalling SDMs and imagine SDFPs will help individuals to have a clearer view of their personal values which in turn might facilitate the selection of valued activities. Further, it is hypothesized that these exercises might decrease depression and disturbances of psychological processes (i.e., rumination, self-concept clarity, environmental satisfaction).Therefore, this study aims were two-fold. First, it aimed at assessing the feasibility for depressed patients to recall SDMs and to imagine SDFPs per life domains. Second, it aimed at assessing the impact of these exercises on depression and psychological processes. Method. Nineteen depressed patients and 17 paired healthy controls (25-60 years) were recruited (data collection is still ongoing). This study comprises four meetings. During the first and the last meetings, participants completed self-reported assessments of depression and psychological processes. During the third and fourth meetings, participants were asked either to recall SDMs or to imagine SDFPs per life domains. SDMs and SDFPs were rated on specificity, meaning-making and emotional. The impact of these exercises was assessed on depression and psychological processes.Results. Preliminary results indicate that depressed patients are as able as healthy controls to recall SDMs and imagine SDFPs per life domains. Depressed patients recall less SDMs and SDFPs with meaning-making than healthy controls. Depressed patients report less SDMs and less SDFPs related to employment and less SDMs related to hobbies than healthy controls. Preliminary results show a decrease of depression in depressed patients only.Discussion. Even though depressed patients are as able as the healthy controls to recall SDMs and to imagine SDFPs, preliminary results highlight significant differences between depressed patients and healthy controls on SDMs and SDFPs. Preliminary results indicate that SDMs and SDFPs positively impact depression in depressed patients. Experimental and clinical implications of these findings will be discussed during the conference.
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