The relationship between insight and autobiographical memory for emotional events in schizophrenia

The relation of episodic and semantic memory for emotional- (positive, negative) and neutral-valenced autobiographical events to illness insight was examined in individuals with schizophrenia. Reduced recall of episodic details for negative events was significantly associated with impaired awareness of having a past mental disorder and its social consequences. Deficits in episodic memory for negative autobiographical events may underlie impaired insight in schizophrenia.