Mental imagery can have a powerful impact on emotion, and dysfunctional mental imagery may play an important role in maintaining distress or problematic behavior in many psychological disorders. However, mental imagery is often neglected in assessment procedures. A variety of means can be used to assess mental imagery, including questionnaires, computer tasks, and interviews. A thorough assessment of mental imagery can aid development of a formulation to guide the application of powerful imagery-focused techniques in treatment. However, patients often do not spontaneously report mental images, and so it is crucial that clinicians inquire specifically about them in order to ascertain their presence and potential as a target for treatment.
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