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Anhedonia, or a deficit in the liking, wanting, and seeking of rewards, is typically assessed via self-reported “in-the-moment” emotional and motivational responses to reward stimuli and activities. Given that mental imagery is known to evoke emotion and motivational responses, we conducted two studies to investigate the relationship between mental imagery use and self-reported anhedonia. Using a novel Reward Response Scale (adapted from the Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale, DARS; Rizvi et al., 2015) modified to assess deliberate and spontaneous mental imagery use, Study 1 (N = 394) compared uninstructed and instructed mental imagery use, and Study 2 (N = 586) conducted a test of replication of uninstructed mental imagery use. Results showed that greater mental imagery use was associated with higher reward response scores (Study 1 & 2), and this relationship was not moderated by whether imagery use was uninstructed or instructed (Study 1). Importantly, mental imagery use moderated the convergence between reward response and depression scale measures of anhedonia, with lower convergence for those reporting higher mental imagery use (Study 1 & 2). Results suggest that higher spontaneous mental imagery use may increase self-reported reward response and reduce the convergence between reward response scale and depression questionnaire measures of anhedonia. [199 / 200 words] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Non‐suicidal self‐injury (NSSI) is theorized to be reinforced by its emotional consequences. Mental images of NSSI are commonly reported as occurring prior to NSSI. Based on the known functional properties of anticipatory mental imagery as an emotional and motivational amplifier, this study investigated whether NSSI mental imagery constitutes a proximal and dynamic mechanism underpinning NSSI risk. Method: An intensive ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study was conducted to track the occurrence and characteristics of NSSI mental imagery alongside NSSI urge and behavior in naturalistic settings. A sample of N = 43 individuals aged 17 to 24 with a history of repetitive NSSI completed EMA surveys seven times a day for 14 days. Results: Mental preoccupation in the form of NSSI mental imagery‐based flash‐forwards to the actions, bodily sensations, and emotional benefits of NSSI was found to occur when NSSI urge was high but not when urge was low. Critically, objective cross‐panel analyses showed that higher frequencies of NSSI imagery occurrence predicted greater future NSSI urge and increased likelihood of acting on urge, over and above current urge. Conclusions: Mental imagery of NSSI is not simply an epiphenomenal by‐product of NSSI urge and may constitute a dynamic and proximal novel intervention target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Web-based cognitive bias modification for interpretation (CBM-I) can improve interpretation biases and anxiety symptoms but faces high rates of dropout. This study tested the effectiveness of web-based CBM-I relative to an active psychoeducation condition and the addition of low-intensity telecoaching for a subset of CBM-I participants. Method: 1,234 anxious community adults (Mage = 35.09 years, 81.2% female, 72.1% white, 82.6% not Hispanic) were randomly assigned at Stage 1 of a sequential, multiple-assignment randomized trial to complete five weekly sessions of CBM-I or psychoeducation on our team's public research website. After the first session, for Stage 2, an algorithm attempted to classify CBM-I participants as higher (vs. lower) risk for dropping out; those classified as higher risk were then randomly assigned to complete four brief weekly telecoaching check-ins (vs. no coaching). Results: As hypothesized (https://doi.org/j2xr; Daniel, Eberle, & Teachman, 2020), CBM-I significantly outperformed psychoeducation at improving positive and negative interpretation biases (Recognition Ratings, Brief Body Sensations Interpretation Questionnaire) and anxiety symptoms (Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale, Anxiety Scale from Depression Anxiety Stress Scales–Short Form), with smaller treatment gains remaining significant at 2-month follow-up. Unexpectedly, CBM-I had significantly worse treatment dropout outcomes than psychoeducation, and adding coaching (vs. no coaching) did not significantly improve efficacy or dropout outcomes (notably, many participants chose not to interact with their coach). Conclusions: Web-based CBM-I appears effective, but supplemental coaching may not mitigate the challenge of dropout. What is the public health significance of this article?: Web-based interventions that provide practice thinking more positively about potentially threatening situations hold promise for shifting the rigidly negative interpretations that maintain anxiety, but many users of these programs do not complete a full course of treatment. The present study's results suggest that providing this training is more effective at improving interpretation biases and anxiety symptoms in anxious adults from the community compared to providing educational material about anxiety. Results also suggest that providing brief check-ins with a coach may not improve the training's effectiveness or the rates of treatment completion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for psychological interventions for depression that can be delivered remotely to older adults. Pellas et al. (2022) conducted a pilot trial on the preliminary effectiveness of a four-week telephone-delivered Behavioral Activation with Mental Imagery (BA-MI) intervention to N= 38 adults 65 years and older with clinically significant depressive symptoms living in isolation due to covid-19 in Sweden. This study assessed the feasibility of follow-up assessments and within-group symptom change over a six-month post-intervention period. Retention rates at post-intervention and follow-up assessments of depressive symptoms (MADRS-S) at five time points were assessed (baseline, post-intervention, 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-up). Effect sizes (Hedges' g) for within-group change scores were calculated between each time point. Retention rates over time were 95, 82, 89, and 84%. Mean MADRS-S score was 18.26 at baseline, 13.69 at post-intervention (g=.68), 13.42 at 1 month (g=.74), 13.82 at 3 months (g=.74), and 15.59 at 6 months (g=.41). Long-term follow-ups were feasible. Within-group decreases in depressive symptoms were maintained with medium effect sizes at 6 months post-intervention. Telephone-based BA-MI may be a feasible intervention for depressive symptoms in older adults in isolation with maintained effects over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To shield vulnerable persons, particularly the elderly, during the Covid-19 pandemic governments around the world have advised to use social distancing and self-isolation. Social isolation might put older adults at an increased risk for mental health problems such as depression. There is a need for brief, easy-accessible psychological treatments for depressive symptoms that can be delivered remotely. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of telephone-delivered Behavioral Activation with Mental Imagery (BA-MI) for the treatment of depressive symptoms in individuals 65 years and older living in isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic., Methods: In this open-label pilot randomized clinical trial, N = 41 individuals aged 65 years or older with clinically significant symptoms of depression were randomly assigned to either a BA-MI treatment condition, or an Attention-Assessment control condition delivered over the telephone over a 4-week period., Results: Depressive symptoms decreased more in the treatment condition compared to the control condition. At post-treatment, 2 out of 16 participants in the treatment condition met diagnostic criteria for depression compared to 9 out of 13 in the control condition. Most participants in the treatment condition were satisfied with the treatment and few adverse effects were observed., Conclusions: This pilot study suggests that behavioral activation with mental imagery delivered over the telephone is feasible, acceptable, and potentially efficacious for the treatment of depressive symptoms in older individuals living in isolation. Replication in larger samples is needed., (© 2021 The Authors. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)