{"title":"'Flashforward' mental imagery in adolescents: exploring developmental differences and associations with mental health.","authors":"A Lau-Zhu, J Stacey, D Gibson, C Chan, M Cooper","doi":"10.1017/S1352465824000298","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Future events can spring to mind unbidden in the form of involuntary mental images also known as 'flashforwards', which are deemed important for understanding and treating emotional distress. However, there has been little exploration of this form of imagery in youth, and even less so in those with high psychopathology vulnerabilities (e.g. due to developmental differences associated with neurodiversity or maltreatment).</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>We aimed to test whether flashforwards are heightened (e.g. more frequent and emotional) in autistic and maltreatment-exposed adolescents relative to typically developing adolescents. We also explored their associations with anxiety/depression symptoms.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>A survey including measures of flashforward imagery and mental health was completed by a group of adolescents (<i>n</i>=87) aged 10-16 (and one of their caregivers) who met one of the following criteria: (i) had a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder; (ii) a history of maltreatment; or (ii) no autism/maltreatment.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Flashforwards (i) were often of positive events and related to career, education and/or learning; with phenomenological properties (e.g. frequency and emotionality) that were (ii) not significantly different between groups; but nevertheless (iii) associated with symptoms of anxiety across groups (particularly for imagery emotionality), even after accounting for general trait (non-future) imagery vividness.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>As a modifiable cognitive risk factor, flashforward imagery warrants further consideration for understanding and improving mental health in young people. This implication may extend to range of developmental backgrounds, including autism and maltreatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":47936,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S1352465824000298","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Future events can spring to mind unbidden in the form of involuntary mental images also known as 'flashforwards', which are deemed important for understanding and treating emotional distress. However, there has been little exploration of this form of imagery in youth, and even less so in those with high psychopathology vulnerabilities (e.g. due to developmental differences associated with neurodiversity or maltreatment).
Aims: We aimed to test whether flashforwards are heightened (e.g. more frequent and emotional) in autistic and maltreatment-exposed adolescents relative to typically developing adolescents. We also explored their associations with anxiety/depression symptoms.
Method: A survey including measures of flashforward imagery and mental health was completed by a group of adolescents (n=87) aged 10-16 (and one of their caregivers) who met one of the following criteria: (i) had a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder; (ii) a history of maltreatment; or (ii) no autism/maltreatment.
Results: Flashforwards (i) were often of positive events and related to career, education and/or learning; with phenomenological properties (e.g. frequency and emotionality) that were (ii) not significantly different between groups; but nevertheless (iii) associated with symptoms of anxiety across groups (particularly for imagery emotionality), even after accounting for general trait (non-future) imagery vividness.
Conclusions: As a modifiable cognitive risk factor, flashforward imagery warrants further consideration for understanding and improving mental health in young people. This implication may extend to range of developmental backgrounds, including autism and maltreatment.
期刊介绍:
An international multidisciplinary journal aimed primarily at members of the helping and teaching professions. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy features original research papers, covering both experimental and clinical work, that contribute to the theory, practice and evolution of cognitive and behaviour therapy. The journal aims to reflect and influence the continuing changes in the concepts, methodology, and techniques of behavioural and cognitive psychotherapy. A particular feature of the journal is its broad ranging scope - both in terms of topics and types of study covered. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy encompasses most areas of human behaviour and experience, and represents many different research methods, from randomized controlled trials to detailed case studies.