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Less Positive or More Negative? Future-Directed Thinking in Mild to Moderate Depression

Bjärehed, Jonas LU ; Sarkohi, Ali and Andersson, Gerhard (2009) In Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
Abstract
Depressed patients have been found to generate fewer anticipated positive future events, but most previous studies have included patients who have either been severely depressed or expressed suicidal thoughts and intents or both. The aim of this study was to compare positive and negative future-directed thinking in persons with mild to moderate depression who did not express suicidal thoughts or intents (n = 20) with a matched group of nondepressed persons (n = 20). The two groups completed the Future-Thinking Task (FTT), in which they were asked to generate positive and negative anticipated future events for three upcoming time periods (1 week, 1 year, and 5-10 years). In the present version of the FTT, both quantitative and qualitative... (More)
Depressed patients have been found to generate fewer anticipated positive future events, but most previous studies have included patients who have either been severely depressed or expressed suicidal thoughts and intents or both. The aim of this study was to compare positive and negative future-directed thinking in persons with mild to moderate depression who did not express suicidal thoughts or intents (n = 20) with a matched group of nondepressed persons (n = 20). The two groups completed the Future-Thinking Task (FTT), in which they were asked to generate positive and negative anticipated future events for three upcoming time periods (1 week, 1 year, and 5-10 years). In the present version of the FTT, both quantitative and qualitative aspects were included (i.e. subjective likelihood and emotional valence). Results showed that depressed persons reported lower scores regarding anticipated future positive events but they did not differ in terms of future negative events. The results are consistent with previous research and further strengthen the notion that reduced anticipation of future positive events is a defining characteristic of depression, even in the absence of suicidal ideation. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
cognitive processing, future thinking, suicide, depression
in
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:77951038238
ISSN
1651-2316
DOI
10.1080/16506070902966926
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d8fab2a7-3f7b-4667-9552-86698608b826 (old id 1472540)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:46:48
date last changed
2022-03-28 02:59:05
@article{d8fab2a7-3f7b-4667-9552-86698608b826,
  abstract     = {{Depressed patients have been found to generate fewer anticipated positive future events, but most previous studies have included patients who have either been severely depressed or expressed suicidal thoughts and intents or both. The aim of this study was to compare positive and negative future-directed thinking in persons with mild to moderate depression who did not express suicidal thoughts or intents (n = 20) with a matched group of nondepressed persons (n = 20). The two groups completed the Future-Thinking Task (FTT), in which they were asked to generate positive and negative anticipated future events for three upcoming time periods (1 week, 1 year, and 5-10 years). In the present version of the FTT, both quantitative and qualitative aspects were included (i.e. subjective likelihood and emotional valence). Results showed that depressed persons reported lower scores regarding anticipated future positive events but they did not differ in terms of future negative events. The results are consistent with previous research and further strengthen the notion that reduced anticipation of future positive events is a defining characteristic of depression, even in the absence of suicidal ideation.}},
  author       = {{Bjärehed, Jonas and Sarkohi, Ali and Andersson, Gerhard}},
  issn         = {{1651-2316}},
  keywords     = {{cognitive processing; future thinking; suicide; depression}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Cognitive Behaviour Therapy}},
  title        = {{Less Positive or More Negative? Future-Directed Thinking in Mild to Moderate Depression}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/16506070902966926}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/16506070902966926}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}