Research supports a connection between depressive symptoms and memory loss. Here’s what to know.

Depression, formally known as major depressive disorder (MDD), is a mental health condition that affects your mood, thoughts, energy levels, and daily functioning.

While many people recognize depression as a state of persistently low mood, MDD features an array of symptoms, including those that affect cognitive functions, like memory.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, text revision (DSM-5-TR), many (but not all) people living with depression experience memory changes known as pseudodementia.

Pseudodementia means “false dementia.” It’s a condition that mimics cognitive symptoms seen in neurodegenerative forms of memory loss and cognitive decline.

Pseudodementia can cause forgetfulness, confusion, and concentration issues. The DSM-5-TR indicates that depression with memory challenges can make it difficult to think clearly or make decisions. On top of that, stress and anxiety from living with depression can also contribute to memory challenges.

Depression can affect your working memory and long-term memory. For example, it can make it difficult to remember what was just said in a conversation or prevent you from recalling facts or past events.

Other symptoms of depression include:

  • feeling sad, anxious, numb, or hopeless
  • a loss of interest in activities or hobbies
  • having little energy and feeling fatigued
  • feeling restless or irritable
  • feeling shame, guilt, worthlessness, or powerlessness
  • a loss of appetite and drastic changes in weight
  • having trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
  • thinking about death or suicide
  • having physical problems, such as headaches, stomachaches, and back pain

Memory challenges in depression are a well-documented symptom in the DSM-5-TR.

The DSM-5-TR is a clinical guidebook that helps doctors in the United States and other countries diagnose mental health conditions. It is compiled from decades of research and approved and reviewed by an international panel of medical experts. Symptoms listed in the DSM are backed by significant research and clinical evidence.

Even though experts know memory challenges can be part of depression, research is ongoing. Research helps reveal insights like whether memory loss in depression is reversible, what brain changes it’s associated with, or if it can predict depression severity or recurrence.

For example, a 2024 paper on 16 years of data found that feelings of depression often preceded memory issues and that severe symptoms of depression are associated with greater and more rapid memory loss as depression continues.

Research also shows that memory problems exist across multiple presentations of depression. A 2022 study found declarative memory impairment among people living with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Declarative memory is a type of long-term memory that helps you recall facts and events.

Doctors use these discoveries in research to develop ways to treat depression with memory loss as quickly and effectively as possible.

Experiencing memory loss doesn’t necessarily mean you’re living with depression. Other reasons you may experience memory loss include:

  • Typical age-related memory loss: This is common and manageable — an example is forgetting where you put your glasses but remembering later in the day.
  • Alzheimer’s disease: This is the most common form of dementia and can cause progressive, irreparable brain damage and memory loss.
  • Mild cognitive impairment: This can alter thinking skills and eventually progress to Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.
  • Minor head injury or trauma: This can trigger slight memory problems, even if you didn’t lose consciousness.
  • Forgetfulness: This can be a potential side effect of certain medications.
  • Brain tumors or brain infections: This can affect your memory or trigger dementia-like symptoms.
  • Vitamin B12 deficiency: This can create problems with your memory. This is because you’re not maintaining healthy nerve cells and red blood cells.
  • Alcohol or drug misuse: This can impair your mental state and abilities. This can also occur when alcohol interacts with medications.
  • Hypothyroidism: This slows your metabolism, which can lead to memory problems and other issues with thinking.
  • Brain or nerve damage: Conditions such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) or multiple sclerosis can cause memory problems. A 2022 narrative review notes that people living with depression appear to have a greater risk of developing PD, and living with PD can raise a person’s chance of developing depression.

Can depression treatment cause memory loss?

Treating depression is the first step in improving depression-related memory loss. But for a small number of people, depression treatment may negatively affect memory.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a depression treatment to help manage the symptoms of severe or treatment-resistant depression and other mental health conditions. It can cause memory loss in some people because of how it alters brain chemistry and function.

If you have ECT, your doctor will perform the procedure while you’re under general anesthesia. During ECT, your doctor sends small electric currents through your brain, triggering a brief seizure. Some people can experience confusion and memory loss after receiving ECT treatments.

While memory loss from ECT is usually short term and temporary, some people experience long-term effects.

Even if you’ve received a diagnosis of depression, your doctor will perform a physical exam and ask you questions to verify the cause of your memory loss. This can also help them determine the extent of your memory problems.

Your doctor may want to know:

  • when you started experiencing memory problems, and for how long
  • if you’ve been feeling depressed, anxious, or sad recently
  • if you’re taking prescription or over-the-counter drugs regularly, and at what dose
  • if you started a new medication
  • what tasks are difficult to start or complete
  • how you’ve treated your memory issues, and if it has worked
  • how often and how much alcohol you drink
  • if you injured your head or had an accident
  • if you were recently ill
  • if your daily routine has changed

Your doctor may also evaluate your memory and thinking skills with a short question-and-answer test and perform an electroencephalogram to test your brain activity.

They may recommend blood tests and imaging tests of your brain, such as an MRI, to help them make a diagnosis. They could also refer you to a specialist, such as a neurologist or a psychiatrist, for diagnosis.

By treating depression, you can help relieve symptoms associated with it, including memory loss. According to the DSM-5-TR, memory problems usually resolve when a major depressive episode is successfully treated.

Depression is typically managed with regular counseling or therapy and antidepressants. Leading an active lifestyle and getting involved in your community can also elevate your mood.

You can help manage memory loss with memory aids. Depending on your needs, this could mean using alarm clocks to keep track of time, color-coding household items, or placing safety notes with instructions on appliances. You may also want to consider hiring a home care provider to help as needed.

Support groups can provide a place to learn and share tips and techniques to improve memory and manage depression.

Depending on the cause of memory loss, medications that can help improve brain function in people with Alzheimer’s disease or other neurological disorders are also available.

If you live with depression, memory challenges are common. Memory loss due to depression can either improve or worsen depending on your emotional and mental state.

If you notice that you’re having issues with your memory, your doctor can help. They can work with you to determine the cause. From there, they can create an effective treatment plan to elevate your depression and improve your memory.