Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-jr42d Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T00:15:30.150Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Relationship Between Problem-Solving and Autobiographical Memory in Parasuicide Patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 June 2009

Gary L. Sidley
Affiliation:
North Manchester General Hospital
Kim Whitaker
Affiliation:
Uiversity of Manchester
Rachel M. Calam
Affiliation:
Uiversity of Manchester
Adrian Wells
Affiliation:
Uiversity of Manchester

Abstract

The relationship between effectiveness of interpersonal problem-solving and specificity of autobiographical memory was examined for 35 patients admitted to an inner-city District General Hospital following a deliberate drug-overdose. The results replicated those of Evans, Williams, O'Loughlin and Howells (1992) in finding a significant correlation between ineffective problem-solving and the over-general retrieval of autobiographical memories, giving further support to the suggestion that an over-general memory database may underpin the problem-solving deficits characteristic of parasuicide patients. However, the correlation coefficient computed was notably lower than in the Evans et al. study and an attempt is made to explain this discrepancy on the basis of differences in the levels of psychopathology between the patients involved in each study.

Type
Brief Clinical Reports
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 1997

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.)

References

Beck, A.T., Brown, G., & Steer, R.A. (1989). Prediction of eventual suicide in psychiatric inpatients by clinical ratings of hopelessness. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 57, 309310.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beck, A.T., Ward, C.H., Mendelson, M., Mock, J., & Erbaugh, J. (1961) An inventory for measuring depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 4, 561571.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beck, A.T., Weissman, A., Lester, D., & Trexler, L. (1974). The measurement of pessimism: The hopelessness scale. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 42, 861865.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brittlebank, A.D., Scott, J., Williams, J.M.G., & Ferrier, I.N. (1993). Autobiographical memory in depression: State or trait marker? British Journal of Psychiatry, 162, 118121.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dyer, J.A.T. & Kreitman, N. (1984). Hopelessness, depression and suicidal intent in parasuicide. British Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 127133.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Evans, J., Williams, J.M.G., O'Loughlin, S., & Howells, K. (1992). Autobiographical memory and problem solving strategies of parasuicide patients. Psychological Medicine, 22, 399405.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hawton, K. & Catalan, J. (1987). Attempted suicide (2nd ed.) Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Kreitman, N. & Foster, J. (1991). The construction and selection of predictive scales with particular reference to parasuicide. British Journal of Psychiatry, 159, 185192.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lineham, M.M. (1993). Cognitive behavioural treatment of borderline personality disorder. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Lineham, M.M., Camper, P., Chiles, J.A., Strohsal, K., & Shearin, E.N. (1987). Interpersonal problem solving and parasuicide. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 11, 112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacLeod, A.K., Williams, J.M.G., & Linehan, M.M. (1992). New developments in the understanding and treatment of suicidal behaviour. Behavioural Psychotherapy, 20, 193218.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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 Behavior, 17, 3349.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nekanda-Trepka, C.J.S., Bishop, S., & Blackburn, I.M. (1983). Hopelessness and depression. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 22, 4960.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Orbach, I., Bar-Joseph, H., & Dror, N. (1990). Styles of problem solving in suicidal individuals. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 20, 5664.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Petrie, K., Chamberlain, K., & Clarke, D. (1988). Psychological predictors of future suicidal behaviour in hospitalized suicide attempters. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 27, 247258.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Platt, J. & Spivack, G. (1975) Unidimensionality of the means-end problem solving procedure (MEPS). Journal of Clinical Psychology, 9, 1516.3.0.CO;2-8>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Platt, J., Spivack, G., & Bloom, W. (1975). Manual for the Means-End Problem-Solving Procedure (MEPS): A measure of interpersonal problem solving skill. Philadelphia: Hahnemann Community MH/MR Center.Google Scholar
Rotheram-Borus, M.J., Trautman, P.D., Dopkins, S.C., & Shrout, P.E. (1990). Cognitive style and pleasant activities among female adolescent suicide attempters. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 58, 554561.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Salkovskis, P.M., Atha, C. & Storer, D. (1990). Cognitive-behavioural problem solving in the treatment of patients who repeatedly attempt suicide. British Journal of Psychiatry, 157, 871876.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schottte, D.E. & Clum, G.A. (1987). Problem-solving skills in suicidal psychiatric patients. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 4954.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spitzer, R.J., Endicott, J., & Robbins, E (1978). Research diagnostic criteria (RDC) for a selected group of functional disorders (3rd edn). New York: New York State Psychiatric Institute, Biometrics Research.Google Scholar
Wahler, R.G. & Afton, A.D. (1980). Attentional processes in insular and non-insular mothers: Some differences in their summary reports about child problem behaviours. Child Behavior Therapy, 2, 2541.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, J.M.G. (1986). Differences in reasons for taking overdoses in high and low hopelessness groups. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 59, 369377.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, J.M.G. (1996). Depression and the specificity of autobiographical memory. In Rubin, D. (Ed.), Remembering our past: Studies in autobiographical memory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google ScholarPubMed
Williams, J.M.G. & Broadbent, K. (1986). Autobiographical memory in attempted suicide patients. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 95, 144149.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, J.M.G. & Dritschel, B.H. (1988). Emotional disturbance and the specificity of autobiographical memory. Cognition and Emotion, 2, 221234CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.