Decomposing the Transdiagnostic Nature of Future-oriented Mental Processes: Associations of Future Self-Connectedness and Future Self-Valence with Mental Illnesses

Future-oriented concepts have been shown to link to various mental illnesses. Given the tendency for mental illnesses to co-occur, there is a necessity to better understand the specific links between the dimensions of future-oriented concepts and general versus specific mental illnesses. This study used bi-factor analysis in z-proso wave 8 data (N=1180, age=20) to examine the transdiagnostic and disorder-specific associations between future self-connectedness and self-valence and mental illnesses. Symmetry bifactor analysis yielded insufficient support for a p-factor, therefore, further analyses were explored and an S-1-bifactor analysis achieved the best model fit. In a structural equation model, the S-1-bifactor model yielded evidence that future self-valence and self-connectedness both negatively correlated with internalising symptoms, ADHD symptoms, psychosis-like symptoms, and substance use. These findings supported transdiagnostic processes and potential intervention strategies of these future-oriented dimensions.