ABSTRACT
Depression is the most common mood disorder in the United States, and, indeed, the world. Depression is a multidimensional disorder. It has biological components based in genetics, neurochemistry, and physical health; it also has psychological components that involve individual factors such as cognitive style, coping style, problem-solving abilities, and many other qualities of personal behavior. The term “depression” is a global shorthand, a diagnostic label of convenience that clinicians use to represent a wide range of symptoms and patterns of experience. Effective treatment must first involve identifying the salient patterns that regulate the experience of depression in a given individual. Global thinking has been explored for its effects on a variety of experiences, including problem-solving and autobiographical memory in relation to depression. It has been shown to impair problem-solving and exacerbate the tendency of depressed individuals to selectively show greater recall for negative memories when depressed.
