The Link Between Depression And Memory Loss & Impact on Mental Health

Is depression a possible cause of memory loss?

People with depression may experience memory biases in which they tend to have better memory for negative events and worse memory for positive events. They may also display impaired recollection and memory retrieval, particularly for positive memories. Depressed individuals may also overgeneralize autobiographical memory, which can be a sign of stress, depression, and PTSD. Despite the significance of poor memory about positive memories, this phenomenon remains poorly understood and requires further research.

A 2019 study of data from the National Child Development Study found that people who experienced symptoms of depression or other affective disorders in young adulthood experienced worse memory recall by age 50. The study suggests that persistent affective and depressive symptoms may impact cognitive functions like memory formation, attention, logical reasoning, and thinking skills in mid-life. It also suggests that effective management of these symptoms can help prevent recurrence and reduce the risk of cognitive impairments, promoting healthy aging for individuals.

What is it called when you lose your memory when you are depressed?

In general, there isn’t a special name for memory loss or memory impairment when it takes place due to depression or another disorder (like obsessive-compulsive disorder). However, it’s sometimes referred to as “pseudodementia.” In the context of major depressive disorder, pseudodementia may refer to the cognitive and functional impairments that mimic dementia. Some symptoms of pseudodementia may include short-term memory loss, confusion, forgetfulness, impaired language, difficulty concentrating, depressed mood, physical problems, trouble sleeping, loss of interest, and little energy.

Depression can alter automatic processing levels in the brain, leading people to experience a greater frequency of negative cognitions and memory biases. It can affect an individual's ability to retrieve positive memories. Even after depression recovery, people often experience greater recall of negative adjectives than positive ones, though a healthcare provider and/or mental health professional may be able to intervene and address these memory issues. It’s clinically important for depressed individuals and those recovering from depression to consult professionals about their concerns. Mental health professionals may provide services for individuals struggling with depression recovery through a combination of treatment methods, such as therapy, medication, antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and lifestyle changes. Therapies that can be beneficial for depressed individuals include interpersonal therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and psychodynamic therapy. Some other types of treatment involve brain stimulation therapy and electroconvulsive therapy for severe cases.

How do you stop memory loss from depression?

According to one meta-analysis, the best way to stop memory loss from depression may be to seek professional depression treatment. Common treatment options for depressive episodes that can lead to memory issues, such as memory impairment and forgetfulness, typically include therapy and medication. Some therapies that can help treat depression include cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, brain stimulation therapy, and electroconvulsive therapy. Meanwhile, antidepressants such as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers are some of the known medicines for depressed individuals. Always consult your doctor for medical advice before starting or stopping any medication.

However, methods such as improving sleep quality, managing stress levels, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can also help improve memory retrieval and enhance thinking skills. It can also be beneficial to address memory problems associated with depression, such as memory loss, reduced ability to retrieve positive memories, and overgeneralization of autobiographical memory. Such changes to your daily routine can bring positive effects to your brain activity, mood, and overall well-being. 

Can you regain memory loss after depression?

Yes, it is possible to recover from memory loss after depression through cognitive rehabilitation techniques. These can be beneficial for depressed individuals experiencing short-term memory loss and impairments in thinking skills.

In a study of adults with remitted depression and/or major depression, researchers found that they tend to exhibit poor memory for positive events and potentiated memory for negative events. Aside from the reduced ability to recall positive memories, people with depression also often overgeneralize autobiographical memory, which is a predictor of chronic mental health challenges such as stress and PTSD. Memory therapeutics targeting these memory challenges can improve depressive symptoms and overall memory. 

 Why do I feel like I'm losing my memory?

Memory problems and impairments in thinking skills may result from depression, chronic stress, anxiety, medication side effects, and infections, which can often be treated. In these cases, you can often develop better memory by managing underlying causes. However, Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia can also cause memory loss and tend to be irreversible. A recent meta-analysis about anxiety suggests that older adults and individuals with anxiety have a 24% higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease and future forms of dementia.

How do I know if I have depression or dementia?

One of the biggest differences between depression and dementia may be that people with dementia tend to lack awareness of what time it is and where they are. This doesn’t usually happen with depression. In addition, depression normally develops much more quickly than forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Additional differences include: 

• The mental decline in depressed people often presents with difficulty concentrating, whereas short-term memory loss and disorientation in day-to-day life are key early warning signs of dementia.

• People with depression may be more likely to experience physical problems, like migraines, back pain, or gastrointestinal issues.

• Depressive episodes and dementia may share symptoms like a sad mood, but impairment of motor skills is usually limited to dementia.

• People with early dementia may have challenges with writing, speaking, reading, and other tasks, but they are usually not affected by depression. 

However, it’s not always possible to determine whether someone’s experiencing symptoms of depression, dementia, or a combination of the two. In some cases, your provider may first treat depressive symptoms to see if they improve. There may also be other issues contributing to your condition that need to be addressed.

Some common symptoms of a so-called condition that mimics dementia, also known as pseudodementia, include short-term memory loss or forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, memory retrieval problems, little energy, loss of interest, confusion, physical problems, trouble sleeping, and depressed mood. Conditions like major depressive disorder, anxiety, and chronic stress can cause this. If you're experiencing memory problems due to depression or major depressive disorder, it can be addressed through proper treatment and medication from a mental health professional.

Can lack of sleep cause memory loss?

Yes, a lack of sleep can cause memory problems. A lack of sleep can impair memory consolidation and even make it more likely for a person to form false memories. If you’re having trouble with your memory, your sleeping patterns, and concentration for other tasks may explain poor recollection and poor memory in general.

When conducting magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) on people having trouble sleeping, researchers observed negative effects on hippocampal neurogenesis (the process of generating nerve cells in the hippocampus), leading to lower volume in this brain region. These direct impacts on the hippocampus can lead to significant memory disruption. 

However, improving sleep quality can significantly improve memory, hippocampal neurogenesis, and brain activity.

Can mental stress cause memory loss?

Stress, anxiety, and depression may all affect memory. Memory formation and working memory capacity may both be impacted. Depression is commonly associated with memory problems, such as short-term memory loss or confusion. On the other hand, other forms of memory, such as long-term memory, autobiographical memory, and even procedural memory, which controls motor skills, are less affected. 

Research on memory function has found that the negative impact on thinking skills largely results from the body’s release of the stress hormone, cortisol, which impacts memory regions of the brain. This can lead to dementia-like symptoms, such as issues with short-term memory and difficulty concentrating. However, it’s less likely to impact long-term and procedural memory, which controls motor skills. In a 2018 study, the researchers mentioned that depressed individuals tend to show poor memory for positive events. The study suggests that stress can suppress hippocampal neurogenesis, which can affect the ability of depressed individuals to encode positive memories.

What mental disorder causes memory loss?

Memory loss may be associated with PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression, schizophrenia, and types of dementia like Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers also found that persistent anxiety and chronic stress can be risk factors for memory issues. According to researchers, this suggests that many mental health disorders lead to problems with executive function as a symptom, and these disorders can have a possible negative influence on working memory and long-term memory.

Treating memory loss resulting from mental health disorders typically requires that you seek treatment for the underlying mental health condition. Addressing depressive symptoms, like insomnia or chronic stress, for example, can often fully restore cognitive function. Memory problems caused by underlying mental health conditions can be addressed through various treatment options such as therapy and medication.

Can depression cause brain damage, and what parts of the brain are affected?

The brain often changes in response to depression. For example, there’s typically less activity in the hippocampuses of people with major depressive disorder, and neuroplasticity may decrease as well. Other brain regions, like the amygdala and dorsomedial thalamus, can also be impacted in people with depression.

When depression is severe or chronic, it may lead to mild cognitive impairment and other issues in the brain, though these changes in brain activity are usually reversible. In older adults, depression is a key driver of memory issues, causing symptoms of “pseudodementia” and potentially leading to long-term cognitive impairments such as Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. In addition, other mental health conditions, including bipolar disorder, PTSD, chronic stress, and eating disorders, can be risk factors for brain damage and memory issues, particularly when left untreated or in severe cases.