The Future Self: A Critical Nexus of the Negative Cognitive Triad

Margaret Webb

Advisor: Jerome Short, PhD, Department of Psychology

Committee Members: Jean-Louis van Gelder, Leah Adams

Online Location, Online
April 25, 2025, 01:30 PM to 03:30 PM

Abstract:

Negative thinking about the self, the future, and the world are core elements of the negative cognitive triad which is both theorized to underlie depression and foundational to cognitive and cognitive-behavioral therapies. Each vertex of this triad has a wealth of research supporting its relevance to mental health outcomes. However, a small but burgeoning body of work indicates that the specific nexus of self and future related thoughts – i.e., thoughts of the future self – may be uniquely important to mental health and warrants further research. This dissertation contributes to the literature on thoughts of the future self in depression, suicidal ideation, and other clinical outcomes through two studies. In study 1, a latent profile analysis of n=251 American young adults (18-24) identified four unique patterns, or profiles, of thinking about the future self across nine dimensions. These profiles each associate with significantly different and clinically meaningful severities of depression, suicidal ideation, and other clinical and wellbeing outcomes. Further, for depression and suicidal ideation, the profiles predict severity above and beyond the effects of anxiety and hopelessness, which are among the most robust predictors of these outcomes. This study demonstrates that multivariate patterns of thinking about the future self may provide meaningful markers of mental health risk and important direction for intervention. Avenues for future research are discussed. In study 2, the feasibility and acceptability of a virtual reality intervention for depression and suicidal ideation that acts on thoughts of the future self is evaluated and a proof of concept is established. This pilot trial was conducted among a sample of n=41 German young adults (18-24) over a 4-month period. The intervention, FutureU for Mental Health, was feasible and acceptable to participants and the study therapist. Results showed promise for the intervention’s intended mechanism of action: all dimensions of thoughts of the future self (i.e., valence, vividness, similarity, and connectedness) improved in participants receiving the intervention. Participants receiving the intervention also demonstrated a significant increase in self-efficacy and consistent trends of improvement across clinical outcomes. This study provides promising preliminary evidence for a virtual reality intervention for depression and suicidal ideation in young adults. Results indicate that continuation of this research with a fully powered trial is warranted.