This research investigates the relationship between the content of recurrent involuntary autobiographical memories (IAMs) and mental health. Using data from 6187 undergraduates, the study employed computational text analysis (structural topic modeling) to identify coherent topics within recurrent IAM descriptions. Specific topics, such as "Negative past relationships" and "Abuse and trauma," were uniquely linked to symptoms of various mental health disorders (depression, PTSD, social anxiety, general anxiety), even after controlling for the memories' self-reported valence. The findings suggest that while negative recurrent IAMs are transdiagnostic, their content is unique across different mental health concerns.

Ryan C. Yeung, Myra A. Fernandes