Do nondepressed cancer-patients carry a depression-marker?

Abstract

Several studies have shown specific respectively general autobiographical memories to be a reliable and valid trait marker for depression. One prior study (C. Brewin et al, 1998) could demonstrate this for a group of depressed cancer patients as compared to a nondepressed group of cancer patients. Therefore, in the present study nondepressed women with mamma carcinoma are compared to a group of nondepressed and healthy women. The results show that also nondepressed carcinoma patients carry the vulnerability marker. It remains uncertain whether this result can be attributed to an increased incidence of depression prior to the occurrence of the cancer. Future studies will have to test, whether this marker has the predictive power for the incidence of cancer, like it has for negative affect. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).