A study on the abnormalities in positive and negative shifts in episodic future thinking among depressed individuals

Depression is often characterized by a persistent low mood and negative future thinking, leading to a vicious cycle of negative thoughts. Previous studies have found that individuals with depression tend to have increased negative future expectations and decreased positive future expectations. However, no study has examined how depressed individuals navigate dynamic shifts between positive and negative future scenarios. The present study attempts to investigate the abnormalities of the shifting between positive and negative future thoughts, adopting 19 individuals with depressive tendency (BDI > = 14) and 20 healthy participants (BDI < = 4). Using a cue imagination paradigm, participants alternated between imagining positive and negative future events, with varying levels of shifts. Results revealed that depressed individuals (compared to healthy controls) took significantly longer time to imagine positive (t(37) = -2.23, p = .032, Cohen's d = -0.71) and eight-switch future events (t(37) = -2.12, p = .040, Cohen's d = -0.68). Additionally, they regarded imagining dynamic future scenarios as more difficult than their healthy counterparts (F(1, 37) = 10.80, p = .002, η²= 0.226). These findings suggested that depressed individuals experience greater cognitive inflexibility when imagining fluctuating future events, potentially contributing to their negative outlook and future expectations. Understanding these abnormalities provides important implications for clinical interventions aimed at improving cognitive flexibility in individuals with depression.