How Depression Effects Memory

Depression isn’t a rare disorder. The World Health Organization has found that approximately 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression. Depression affects all areas of the brain, from making decisions and planning future actions to organizing thoughts and memory.  Scientists have been looking at the connection between depression and memory in hopes of improving treatments and understanding the deep connections between our mind, mood, and memory.   There could be many contributing factors to why memory is affected by depression including the overtaking negative thoughts, lack of concentration, serotonin levels, and mood.  Overtaking Negative Thoughts:  Negative thoughts are very common for those suffering from depression. These thoughts are hard to get rid of, as they are intrusive and overwhelming. The Center for Brain Health at the University of Texas at Dallas recently conducted a study that showed that depressive thoughts are maintained for longer periods of time in people suffering from a depressed mood.  These thoughts can persist to the point that they restrict a person’s ability to maintain a train of thought.