The article reviews research on autobiographical memory specificity and its association with emotional disorders, particularly depression and PTSD. It highlights that many emotionally disturbed patients tend to recall events in a general, overgeneral manner rather than retrieving specific episodes. The authors examine the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, focusing on M. A. Conway and C. W. Pleydell-Pearce’s hierarchical search model of personal event retrieval. They propose an elaboration of this model to account for overgeneral memory, considering how memory search can be influenced by capture and rumination processes, functional avoidance, and executive control. The article also discusses the methodological limitations of existing studies and suggests future research directions. Key findings include the widespread occurrence of overgeneral memory in affective disorders, its association with trauma, and its potential role in impaired problem-solving and delayed recovery from emotional disorders. The authors conclude by emphasizing the importance of understanding the mechanisms behind overgeneral memory to inform clinical interventions.The article reviews research on autobiographical memory specificity and its association with emotional disorders, particularly depression and PTSD. It highlights that many emotionally disturbed patients tend to recall events in a general, overgeneral manner rather than retrieving specific episodes. The authors examine the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, focusing on M. A. Conway and C. W. Pleydell-Pearce’s hierarchical search model of personal event retrieval. They propose an elaboration of this model to account for overgeneral memory, considering how memory search can be influenced by capture and rumination processes, functional avoidance, and executive control. The article also discusses the methodological limitations of existing studies and suggests future research directions. Key findings include the widespread occurrence of overgeneral memory in affective disorders, its association with trauma, and its potential role in impaired problem-solving and delayed recovery from emotional disorders. The authors conclude by emphasizing the importance of understanding the mechanisms behind overgeneral memory to inform clinical interventions.