Exploring Temporal Relationships Between Anxiety, Mood and Mental Imagery in Patients With Bipolar Disorder: A Network Analysis

Although exploratory, findings suggest that prior increases in anxiety and negative intrusive mental imagery might be associated with subsequent increases in depression and mania symptoms in patients with bipolar disorder. Anxiety might in turn increase negative intrusive imagery and associated negative emotions. Although more research is needed, results are in line with the emotional amplifier model and stress that future interventions with a focus on anxiety and imagery might help to improve psychosocial therapies for patients with bipolar disorder. In addition, this study suggests that a network approach is a helpful and feasible way to study mood instability, anxiety and mental imagery to increase our understanding of mechanisms underpinning mood instability.