@article{ref1,
title="Visual mental imagery and symptoms of depression - results from a large-scale web-based study",
journal="BMC psychiatry",
year="2015",
author="Weßlau, Charlotte and Cloos, Marie and Höfling, Volkmar and Steil, Regina",
volume="15",
number="1",
pages="e308-e308",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Mental imagery may influence the onset and maintenance of depression, but specific mechanisms have not yet been determined. <br><br>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 (&quot;ID-images&quot;), and depressive symptomatology. The assessment was carried out online to reduce effects of social desirability. <br><br>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. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Mental images are clearly related to depression. Future research should focus on ID-images and their connection to suicide-risk in depressed patients.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1471-244X",
doi="10.1186/s12888-015-0689-1",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12888-015-0689-1"
}