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An Examination of Multidimensional Time Perspective and Mental Health Outcomes
Julia Moon1, Rebecca J Lieber1, Ilke Bayazitli1
1Psychology Department, College of Science & Engineering, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA.
Summary
Positive feelings about time correlate with better mental health, reducing anxiety and rumination. Conversely, negative time perspectives and frequent past-focused thoughts are linked to increased depressive symptoms and anxiety.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Mental Health Research
Background:
- Time perspective, encompassing feelings, frequency, orientation, and relation across past, present, and future, is increasingly recognized as a factor in psychological well-being.
- Mental health is often assessed through measures of depressive symptoms, anxiety, and rumination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the associations between various dimensions and periods of time perspective and key mental health outcomes.
- To establish the reliability of the time perspective scales used in the study.
Main Methods:
- Utilized multivariate analyses to examine relationships between time perspective dimensions (feelings, frequency, orientation, relation) and time periods (past, present, future).
- Assessed mental health outcomes including depressive symptoms, anxiety, and rumination in a sample of 337 adults.
- Conducted test-retest analyses to ensure the reliability of the time perspective scales.
Main Results:
- Positive feelings about time were significantly associated with lower levels of anxiety and rumination.
- Negative feelings about time were linked to higher levels of anxiety and rumination.
- More frequent thoughts about the past correlated with increased depressive symptoms, anxiety, and rumination.
Conclusions:
- Time perspective, particularly feelings about time and focus on the past, plays a significant role in adult mental health.
- Findings underscore the importance of considering distinct time perspective dimensions and periods in mental health assessments and interventions.
- The study highlights potential therapeutic targets within time perspective for improving mental health outcomes.
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