Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2020 Jun;50(3):724-740.
doi: 10.1111/sltb.12620. Epub 2020 Feb 14.

Imaginator: A Proof-of-Concept Feasibility Trial of a Brief Imagery-Based Psychological Intervention for Young People Who Self-Harm

Martina Di Simplicio  1   2 , Elizabeth Appiah-Kusi  3 , Paul Wilkinson  4   5 , Peter Watson  2 , Caroline Meiser-Stedman  5 , David J Kavanagh  6 , Emily A Holmes  7
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Imaginator: A Proof-of-Concept Feasibility Trial of a Brief Imagery-Based Psychological Intervention for Young People Who Self-Harm

Martina Di Simplicio et al. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2020 Jun.

Abstract

Objectives: The Imaginator study tested the feasibility of a short mental imagery-based psychological intervention for young people who self-harm and used a stepped-wedge design to investigate effects on self-harm frequency reduction at 3 and 6 months.

Method: A total of 38 participants aged 16-25 were recruited via community self-referral and mental health services. Participants were randomized to immediate delivery of Functional Imagery Training (FIT) or usual care followed by delayed delivery after 3 months. FIT comprised two face-to-face sessions, five phone sessions, and use of a smartphone app. Outcomes' assessment was blind to allocation.

Results: Three quarters of those who began treatment completed face-to-face sessions, and 57% completed five or more sessions in total. Self-harm frequency data were obtained on 76% of the sample at 3 months (primary outcome) and 63% at 6 months. FIT produced moderate reductions in self-harm frequency at 3 months after immediate (d = 0.65) and delayed delivery (d = 0.75). The Immediate FIT group maintained improvements from 3 to 6 months (d = 0.05). Participants receiving usual care also reduced self-harm (d = 0.47).

Conclusions: A brief mental imagery-based psychological intervention targeting self-harm in young people is feasible and may comprise a novel transdiagnostic treatment for self-harm.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest

Martina Di Simplicio and Emily A. Holmes are co-authors of a book on imagery-based cognitive therapy (Guildford press, 2019)

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 2
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders 5. American Psychiatric Association; Washington DC: 2013.
    1. Andrade J, May J, Deeprose C, Baugh S-J, Ganis G. Assessing vividness of mental imagery: The Plymouth Sensory Imagery Questionnaire. British Journal of Psychology. 2014;105(4):547–563. doi: 10.1111/bjop.12050. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Andrade J, Khalil M, Dickson J, May J, Kavanagh DJ. Functional Imagery Training to reduce snacking: Testing a novel intervention for weight management based on Elaborated Intrusion theory. Appetite. 2016;100:256–262. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2016.02.015. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Andrews T, Martin G, Hasking P, Page A. Predictors of Continuation and Cessation of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2013;53:40–46. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.01.009. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Aveyard B, Appiah-Kusi E, Barnicot K, Wilkinson P, Kavanagh DJ, Holmes EA, Di Simplicio M. Young people’s experiences of an imagery-based intervention targeting self-harm, supported by a digital app. (in preparation)

Publication types