Background and objectives

Future-directed thinking (FDT) is associated with goal directed behaviour and may differ in people with psychosis compared to non-clinical controls. This study investigated whether guided imagery could enhance positive FDT in people with psychosis.

Method

Participants were 44 people experiencing a first episode of psychosis. They were assessed for negative and positive symptoms, FDT on the Future Thinking Task (FTT), depression, anxiety, autobiographical memory, verbal fluency and spontaneous use of imagery. They were randomised to either a positive or neutral imagery condition, before being retested on the FTT. Outcomes on the FTT were number of events generated, anticipated likelihood, anticipated affect and a composite score.

Results

Participants in the positive imagery condition generated significantly more positive events on the FTT compared with those in the neutral (F (1, 42) = 19.916, p < .001, η_p² = 0.322). In both imagery conditions, likelihood ratings of positive events increased post-intervention. Positive and negative events were both perceived as less likely to occur the further into the future they were, and positive events were anticipated to be more positive and negative events more negative, the further into the future they were.

Limitations

The participants in this study experienced relatively low levels of symptoms, and therefore caution should be used when applying these results to people with greater symptomatology.

Conclusions

Positive guided imagery shows promise for enhancing positive FDT in people with first-episode psychosis. This intervention may offer a simple and effective method of enhancing engagement with the future, with potential implications for goal-directed behaviour.

中文翻译：

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使用引导图像干预增强首发精神病患者的未来导向思维

背景和目标

未来导向思维 (FDT) 与目标导向行为相关，并且与非临床对照相比，精神病患者可能有所不同。这项研究调查了引导图像是否可以增强精神病患者的阳性 FDT。

方法

参与者是 44 人，他们经历了第一次精神病发作。评估他们的阴性和阳性症状、未来思维任务 (FTT) 的 FDT、抑郁、焦虑、自传体记忆、语言流利度和自发使用意象。在 FTT 重新测试之前，他们被随机分配到正面或中性图像条件。FTT 的结果是产生的事件数量、预期可能性、预期影响和综合得分。

结果

与中性的参与者相比，积极意象条件下的参与者在 FTT 上产生的积极事件明显更多（F (1, 42) = 19.916, p  < .001, η _p ²  = 0.322）。在这两种意象条件下，积极事件的可能性评级在干预后都增加了。积极事件和消极事件都被认为在未来越远发生的可能性越小，而积极事件被认为越积极，消极事件越消极，它们越往未来发生。

限制

本研究的参与者经历的症状水平相对较低，因此在将这些结果应用于症状较重的人时应谨慎。

结论

积极的引导图像显示了增强首发精神病患者积极 FDT 的希望。这种干预可能提供一种简单而有效的方法来增强对未来的参与，并可能对目标导向的行为产生影响。