Autobiographical memory specificity and general symptoms of anxiety: indirect associations through rumination

Depression is known to be associated with reduced autobiographical memory (AM) specificity; however, the relationship between anxiety symptoms and AM specificity has not been examined as thoroughly, with inconsistent findings. We sought to examine the association between general anxiety symptoms and AM specificity, and whether rumination and worry were potential mediators through which indirect associations may occur. Structural equation models were conducted using responses collected from 125 participants (M age = 26.3, SD = 3, 48.4% female) who completed the Autobiographical Memory Test, Rumination on Sadness Scale, the anxiety subscale from the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, the Penn State Worry Questionnaire, and the Patient Health Questionnaire. Higher anxiety symptoms, independent of depressive symptoms, were associated with reduced AM specificity through increased rumination. Worry was not a predictor of reduced AM specificity or a mediator of anxiety. The findings extend our understanding of the association between anxiety and reduced AM specificity, and suggest that rumination may represent a mediating pathway between psychopathology and effects on AM that is transdiagnostic in nature.