Episodic future thinking (EFT), the ability to imagine future autobiographical events, is both an everyday and clinically significant cognitive process. With a focus on depression and suicidality, here we discuss evidence connecting EFT with psychopathology. Emotional valence of imagined future events has emerged as the most widely established feature of EFT detected to date, with less positive EFT being associated with depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. This pattern may not be merely a byproduct of sadness or anhedonia. Promising directions for future research include clarifying the temporal association between EFT and clinical outcomes, investigating the potential benefits and drawbacks of positive EFT, and refining assessments for youth to measure EFT either preceding or soon after onset of psychopathology.

中文翻译：

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情景未来思维和精神病理学：关注抑郁和自杀风险


情景未来思维（EFT），即想象未来自传事件的能力，是一种日常且具有临床意义的认知过程。我们重点关注抑郁症和自杀倾向，在此讨论将 EFT 与精神病理学联系起来的证据。想象中的未来事件的情绪效价已成为迄今为止检测到的最广泛确定的 EFT 特征，而不太积极的 EFT 与抑郁症状和自杀想法和行为有关。这种模式可能不仅仅是悲伤或快感缺乏的副产品。未来研究的有希望的方向包括澄清 EFT 与临床结果之间的时间关联，调查积极 EFT 的潜在好处和缺点，以及完善对青少年的评估，以测量精神病理学发作之前或之后不久的 EFT。