Relationships between changes in future time perspectives and psychopathology

The major objective of the present research was the study of the relationships between changes in future time perspectives (FTPs) and changes in various indicators of psychopathology among a group of 38 male psychiatric patients participating in a Human Relations Training Program at the Veterans Administration Hospital, Houston, Texas, Changes in FTP were regarded in terms of amount of symbolic extension into future time as calculated from the periods of time covered in spontaneous completions to five story-completion stems. Changes in FTP were also regarded in terms of positive attitudes toward future time as calculated from a future time perspective inventory designed for this purpose (Weinstein, 1963), and from ratings of the concept 'the future' employing Semantic Differential scales. Changes in psychopathology were calculated from several measures including two rating scales of clinical adjustment which involved self-ratings, ratings of each subject by members in his small psychotherapy group, and staff ratings of each subject. Changes in clinical anxiety were obtained from the Welsh Anxiety Scale, and changes in preoccupation with death were obtained from a questionnaire designed for this purpose (Dickstein & Blatt, 1966). In addition, the present research focused upon the relationships of changes in FTP and psychopathology when clinical adjustment was defined in a manner other than in terms of standard psychiatric symptomatic considerations, in terms involving purpose or sense of meaning in life. The design of the present research employed repeated measures with all subjects. Administering all instruments once near the beginning of the four-week Human Relations Training Program and again near the end of the program permitted changes in FTPs and changes in clinical adjustment and other indicators of psychopathology to be observed after the intervening period of the therapeutic program. It was possible to investigate the hypothesized relationships between the two groups of changes. The results did not form a simple, clear pattern involving the relationships among change scores. Relationships between changes in extension of FTP and changes in clinical adjustment were not found to be statistically significant regardless of the instruments employed to calculate changes in extension or changes in adjustment. Relationships between changes in attitudes toward FTP and changes in clinical adjustment were found to be statistically significant only when changes in adjustment were calculated from self-rated symptom scores. Changes in the extension of FTP were not found to be significantly related to changes in levels of clinical anxiety. Changes in levels of clinical anxiety were significantly related to changes in attitudes toward FTP when changes in attitudes were calculated from the scores of a future time perspective inventory and from understandability and combined factors from the Semantic Differential scales. Changes in the extension of FTP were not significantly related to changes in death preoccupation. Changes in death preoccupation were not significantly related to changes in attitudes toward FTP. The overall interrelationships of change scores revealed a more inconsistent pattern among changes in criterion variables than hypothesized, Changes in criterion variables fit into two fairly distinct clusters of relationships. The clusters proved to be a function of the instrument and method employed in calculating the changes in adjustment with one cluster forming around self-rated Improvement and a different cluster forming around staff-rated improvement. The results failed to demonstrate a basis for the contention of a differing relationship between changes in adjustment represented by considerations of purpose or meaning in life and changes in FTP, and changes in adjustment as represented by more standard psychiatric symptomatic considerations and changes in FTP.