Cognitive vulnerabilities and depressed mood in acquired brain injury

Acquired Brain Injury (ABI), an important cause of long-term disability, is associated with a significantly increased incidence of depression in addition to common cognitive and physical consequences. Past research has reliably linked post-ABI depression to injury severity (e.g. extent of physical or cognitive impairment) and premorbid mood problems. In the general (non-ABI) population, however, cognitive vulnerabilities associated with depression have informed the development of psychological interventions. In this observational study, we examine two potential cognitive vulnerabilities in a heterogenous group of individuals in the chronic stage of ABI – dysfunctional attitudes (DAs) and specificity of autobiographical memory – and explore whether these are linked to depression symptoms and ongoing cognitive difficulties as in the general population. Compared to age- and sex-matched controls, participants with an ABI demonstrated increased endorsement of DAs and reduced specificity of autobiographical memory recall. Further, cognitive vulnerability–depression symptom correlations were detected for an explicit DA measure, but not for a more implicit DA measure or for autobiographical memory specificity. While significant individual differences in injury severity and other factors likely obscured subtle relationships between mood and cognitive vulnerability, finding evidence of these vulnerabilities could nonetheless usefully inform psychological interventions intended to enhance resilience to low mood post-ABI.