title: Visual mental imagery and symptoms of depression - results from a large-scale web-based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mental imagery may influence the onset and maintenance of depression, but specific mechanisms have not yet been determined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine hundred twelve participants completed questionnaires on positive and negative mental images, as well as images of injury and death that lead to positive emotions ("ID-images"), and depressive symptomatology. The assessment was carried out online to reduce effects of social desirability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Positive images were reported by 87 % of the sample, negative images by 77 %. ID-images were present in one-third of the sample. A connection with depression severity was found for the absence of positive mental images and the presence of negative images as well as ID-images. Higher depression scores were associated with more frequent and vivid negative images, greater imagery distress, and a higher proportion of negative relative to positive images.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mental images are clearly related to depression. Future research should focus on ID-images and their connection to suicide-risk in depressed patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology and Intervention, Institute of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, P.O. Box 11 19 32-120, 60054, Frankfurt Main, Germany. wesslau@psych.uni-frankfurt.de.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weßlau
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology and Intervention, Institute of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, P.O. Box 11 19 32-120, 60054, Frankfurt Main, Germany. cloos@psych.uni-frankfurt.de.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cloos
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology and Intervention, Institute of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, P.O. Box 11 19 32-120, 60054, Frankfurt Main, Germany. vhoefling@psych.uni-frankfurt.de.
authors.forename: Volkmar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Höfling
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology and Intervention, Institute of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, P.O. Box 11 19 32-120, 60054, Frankfurt Main, Germany. steil@psych.uni-frankfurt.de.
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Steil
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D000067656:Optimism / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires