In subclinical depression in undergraduates, odor-evoked autobiographical memories are relatively less vivid than those evoked with words or photographs.

The specificity of autobiographical memories is reduced in depression. Effects of depression on memory specificity have typically been examined using word cues, but odor cues may be more sensitive. Here, we measured depressive symptom severity in undergraduate students with and without subclinical depression (n = 99, 58 women, 40 men, and one nonbinary) and used word, photograph, or odor cues to examine memory retrieval. Overall, we observed more memories recalled in subclinical depression relative to no depression. We observed no effect of cue type or depression group on autobiographical memories specificity. However, subclinical depression was associated with lower memory pleasantness. Memory vividness was also associated with subclinical depression, mostly in memories evoked by odors. These results suggest that odors can be used to examine effects of depression on autobiographical memories. We highlight important aspects for future studies that can replicate these results with a more appropriate design and power.