Unique contributions of metacognition and cognition to depressive symptoms
Open accessAbstract
This study attempts to examine the unique contributions of "cognitions" or "metacognitions" to depressive symptoms while controlling for their intercorrelations and comorbid anxiety. Two-hundred-and-fifty-one university students participated in the study. Two complementary hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed, in which symptoms of depression were regressed on the dysfunctional attitudes (DAS-24 subscales) and metacognition scales (Negative Beliefs about Rumination Scale [NBRS] and Positive Beliefs about Rumination Scale [PBRS]). Results showed that both NBRS and PBRS individually explained a significant amount of variance in depressive symptoms above and beyond dysfunctional schemata while controlling for anxiety. Although dysfunctional attitudes as a set significantly predicted depressive symptoms after anxiety and metacognitions were controlled for, they were weaker than metacognitive variables and none of the DAS-24 subscales contributed individually. Metacognitive beliefs about ruminations appeared to contribute more to depressive symptoms than dysfunctional beliefs in the "cognitive" domain.
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Findings in mental health settings demonstrate that metacognitive beliefs are associated with anxiety and depression and that negative metacognitive beliefs of uncontrollability and danger show the strongest and most reliable relationships with these symptoms.
“The results of the review mirror findings in mental health settings, which demonstrate that metacognitive beliefs are associated with anxiety and depression [29, 70–77] and that negative metacognitive beliefs of uncontrollability and danger show the strongest and most reliable relationships with these symptoms [29].”
From Metacognitive beliefs and their relationship with anxiety and depression in physical illnesses: A systematic review (2020) · cites this paper as [77]
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- Authors
- Yilmaz, A. E., Gençöz, T., & Wells, A.
- Affiliations
- Middle East Technical University (TR)
- ORCID
- Gençöz, Tülin
- Venue
- The Journal of General Psychology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2014-12-24
- Volume
- 142
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 23-33
- ISSN
- 0022-1309 (ISSN-L)
- 1940-0888
- OpenAlex
- W1998809322
- Cited by
- 31
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2025: 6 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 3.24
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-nd
- Locations
- The Journal of General Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (publishedVersion)
- OpenMETU (Middle East Technical University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Assessments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
- Keywords
- metacognition, depressive symptoms, dysfunctional attitudes, rumination, anxiety comorbidity, university students, cognitive beliefs
- MeSH terms
- Metacognition, Adolescent, Adult, Anxiety, Cognition, Depression, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Young Adult
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