Key takeaways:
Depression can cause many physical and mental symptoms beyond changes in mood. These include changes in memory.
People with depression often experience a range of symptoms related to memory. These can include short-term and long-term memory loss.
Treatment for depression — from medications to lifestyle changes — can also help with memory loss related to depression.
When most people think of depression, they think of emotional symptoms like sadness. But if you’re living with depression, you probably know that it can cause a lot more symptoms beyond mood — like fatigue, body pain, and changes in appetite, to name a few.
It’s also common for people with depression to experience brain fog and forgetfulness. And for some, these symptoms can be just as serious as the mood changes. They can have a big impact on your interaction with others, work, and day-to-day tasks. But the first step in getting help is recognizing how depression could be affecting your memory.
How does depression affect your memory?
Multiple studies show that it’s common for depression to be associated with memory changes. For some people, this may feel like brain fog. This can lead to changes in:
Short-term memory: This often feels like forgetfulness. You may walk into a room and not remember why you went in there.
Concentration: Someone may be having a conversation and forget something that was said just a few minutes ago.
Speech: It can feel hard to remember certain words. It can seem like someone is having a hard time communicating their thoughts as well as they used to.
Attention or orientation: Someone might seem spacey or scatterbrained, like their mind is somewhere else.
Search and compare options
Can depression cause memory loss?
Yes, depression can also cause memory loss that seems to go beyond attention in the present moment. Depression is also associated with long-term memory loss. This includes changes in:
Declarative memory: This is the recollection of facts, prior knowledge, or past events.
Autobiographical memory: This is memory of your own prior life experiences. This can look like difficulty remembering the details of past events — or forgetting the event entirely.
Biased memory: This is when your memory changes or distorts details about the past. For example, you may recall negative experiences with increased or distorted detail.
Sometimes, someone’s changes in their memory are due to the depression itself. But depression can also cause other conditions and diseases — like insomnia — which can also impact one’s memory.
How does depression affect the brain?
Depression is in part caused by imbalances in certain neurotransmitters, like serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. When these chemicals are out of balance in the brain, they can affect your mood and thinking. But current studies also show that depression can lead to physical changes in the anatomy of the brain and changes in the function of brain cells.
These changes in the brain lead to some of the well-known emotional symptoms such as:
Feeling depressed, sad, or “down”
Feeling hopeless
Less interest or enjoyment in activities that were once enjoyable
Bad thoughts about oneself, or feeling like a failure
Feeling guilty
Suicidal thoughts
How to prevent dementia: Learn about the lifestyle changes you can start making now to lower your risk of dementia in the future.
Brain-healthy foods: A nutritious diet overall is important for your brain health. But these foods are particularly good at keeping your mind sharp.
Exercising when you’re tired: Physical movement can help with both depression and memory loss. But if working out is the last thing you feel like doing, here are some tips that can help.
But depression symptoms are even more complex than this. The effect of these changes in the brain can lead to additional physical symptoms. And there’s also evidence that they can affect the function of other organs, like the gut. This means that depression can lead to symptoms like:
Sleeping too much or too little
Eating too much or too little
Trouble concentrating
Moving more slowly than usual
Restlessness
Low energy or feeling tired
Can you improve memory loss from depression?
Studies show that treating depression improves many of the mental and physical symptoms of depression — beyond just mood. For example, one study showed improved breathing for people with depression and lung disease.
Read more like this
Explore these related articles, suggested for readers like you.
When it comes to memory, there’s evidence that treatment with an antidepressant can help. So people who take medication for their depression also have long-term improvement in their memory.
But it doesn’t mean medication is the only thing that can help. Certain lifestyle habits can also help to improve memory — and mood — in general. Some of these include:
Exercising regularly
Sleeping well
Eating a brain-healthy diet
Staying hydrated
Having regular social interactions
How to get help for depression
Depression is a serious condition that affects many aspects of people’s lives, from social relationships to their ability to work. Depression is even linked to increased mortality and shorter lifespan. If you know you have depression — or think you might have it — know that depression is highly treatable.
If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned in this article, reach out to someone on your healthcare team or someone you trust. This is especially important if your symptoms last for more than 2 weeks. And seek medical help sooner if the symptoms feel severe. There are many different treatment options that can help. These include:
Thoughts of suicide or loss of will to live is a medical emergency. Anyone dealing with these feelings should seek help immediately in an emergency room (ER) or with a healthcare professional.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a 24-hour emergency hotline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Frequently asked questions
Yes, depression can lead to confusion. This confusion can be a result of difficulty concentrating, disorienting changes in memory, and brain fog.
Lexapro (escitalopram) and other antidepressants can sometimes affect certain learning skills. But it doesn’t seem to have any noticeable effect on memory. Research that has looked specifically at Lexapro and memory hasn’t found evidence that treatment with Lexapro leads to memory loss.
That being said, Lexapro may have a different effect in people who have dementia. There’s some research to suggest that when people with Alzheimer’s disease are treated with Lexapro, it may accelerate memory loss for some.
People with depression are at increased risk of other diseases. And many of these diseases also affect brain function. These include:
Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other inflammatory diseases
Some of these conditions will affect memory more than others. It’s also hard to know if depression actually causes these conditions. But experts can see that they’re more common in people with depression. So this makes it likely that depression at least plays a part in how some cases of these diseases develop.
Yes, depression can lead to confusion. This confusion can be a result of difficulty concentrating, disorienting changes in memory, and brain fog.
Lexapro (escitalopram) and other antidepressants can sometimes affect certain learning skills. But it doesn’t seem to have any noticeable effect on memory. Research that has looked specifically at Lexapro and memory hasn’t found evidence that treatment with Lexapro leads to memory loss.
That being said, Lexapro may have a different effect in people who have dementia. There’s some research to suggest that when people with Alzheimer’s disease are treated with Lexapro, it may accelerate memory loss for some.
People with depression are at increased risk of other diseases. And many of these diseases also affect brain function. These include:
Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other inflammatory diseases
Some of these conditions will affect memory more than others. It’s also hard to know if depression actually causes these conditions. But experts can see that they’re more common in people with depression. So this makes it likely that depression at least plays a part in how some cases of these diseases develop.
The bottom line
Depression is a serious condition, with many symptoms beyond mood changes. It can impact your memory in multiple different ways. If you’re experiencing memory loss and wondering if it could be depression — or something else — talk to your primary care provider. Depression shouldn’t be tackled alone. Treatment can make a huge difference in your day-to-day life. So, if you or a loved one are dealing with depression, the time to seek help is now.
Why trust our experts?
References
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Severity measure for depression — adult.
Aziz, M. N. M., et al. (2021). Irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and neurodegeneration: A bidirectional communication from gut to brain. Nutrients.
Borson, S., et al. (1992). Improvement in mood, physical symptoms, and function with nortriptyline for depression in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Psychosomatics.
Burt, D. B., et al. (1995). Depression and memory impairment: A meta-analysis of the association, its pattern, and specificity. Psychological Bulletin.
Carlessi, A. S., et al. (2021). Gut microbiota-brain axis in depression: The role of neuroinflammation. European Journal of Neuroscience.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). Suicide data and statistics.
Cuijpers, P., et al. (2008). Psychotherapy for depression in adults: A meta-analysis of comparative outcome studies. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.
Fang, H., et al. (2019). Depression in sleep disturbance: A review on a bidirectional relationship, mechanisms and treatment. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine.
Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation. (2025). Antidepressants may speed cognitive decline in people with dementia.
Greco, T., et al. (2004). The outcome of physical symptoms with treatment of depression. Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Hare, D. L. (2021). Depression and cardiovascular disease. Current Opinion in Lipidology.
Hoffman, K., et al. (2019). The role of dietary supplements in depression and anxiety — A narrative review. Pharmacopsychiatry.
Huang, Q., et al. (2019). Linking what we eat to our mood: A review of diet, dietary antioxidants, and depression. Antioxidants.
Kvam, S., et al. (2016). Exercise as a treatment for depression: A meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders.
Langley, C., et al. (2023). Chronic escitalopram in healthy volunteers has specific effects on reinforcement sensitivity: A double-blind, placebo-controlled semi-randomised study. Neuropsychopharmacology.
Lavretsky, H., et al. (2020). A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of combined escitalopram and memantine for older adults with major depression and subjective memory complaints. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
McHugh, R. K., et al. (2019). Alcohol use disorder and depressive disorders. Alcohol Research: Current Reviews.
Michaelides, A., et al. (2019). Depression, anxiety and acute pain: Links and management challenges. Postgraduate Medicine.
Reangsing, C., et al. (2020). Effects of mindfulness meditation interventions on depression in older adults: A meta-analysis. Aging & Mental Health.
Rose, E. J., et al. (2006). The effects of escitalopram on working memory and brain activity in healthy adults during performance of the n-back task. Psychopharmacology.
Saeed, S. A., et al. (2019). Depression and anxiety disorders: Benefits of exercise, yoga, and meditation. American Family Physician.
Sáiz-Vázquez, O., et al. (2021). Depression as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease: A systematic review of longitudinal meta-analyses. Journal of Clinical Medicine.
Sheffler, Z. M., et al. (2023). Physiology, neurotransmitters. StatPearls.
Sibelli, A., et al. (2016). A systematic review with meta-analysis of the role of anxiety and depression in irritable bowel syndrome onset. Psychological Medicine.
Swann, O. G., et al. (2020). Dietary fiber and its associations with depression and inflammation. Nutrition Reviews.
Trifu, S. C., et al. (2020). Brain changes in depression. Romanian Journal of Morphology and Embryology.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2019). Depression medicines.
Zis, P., et al. (2017). Depression and chronic pain in the elderly: Links and management challenges. Clinical Interventions in Aging.
