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Depression and prospection.

Ann Marie Roepke1, Martin E P Seligman1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

The British Journal of Clinical Psychology
|June 23, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Negative prospection, or viewing the future negatively, may be the core cause of depression. Addressing faulty future thinking through interventions shows promise for treating depression and other disorders.

Keywords:
depressionepisodic foresightfuture thinkingmental simulationmental time travelprospectiontransdiagnostic

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Clinical Psychiatry

Background:

  • Prospection, the mental representation of future possibilities, is typically adaptive.
  • When prospection is impaired, it can negatively impact emotion and motivation.
  • A negative outlook on the future is often considered a symptom of depression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose that negative prospection is the central causal factor in depression.
  • To review empirical evidence supporting this framework.
  • To explore implications for clinical interventions targeting depression.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review integrating studies on prospection and depression.
  • Keywords used: prospection, prediction, pessimism, future-thinking, depression, depressive.
  • Database searched: PsycInfo.

Main Results:

  • Faulty prospection, including poor generation/evaluation of futures and negative future beliefs, can drive depression.
  • Depressed mood and poor functioning may perpetuate faulty prospection, creating a cycle.
  • Future-oriented cognitive-behavioral therapy strategies can improve prospection.

Conclusions:

  • Prospection-based interventions offer potential for transdiagnostic treatment strategies.
  • Targeting faulty future thinking may be key for treating depression and related disorders.