A multi-study examination of the relevance of the metacognitive beliefs about uncontrollability in emotion regulation and clinical symptoms.

Transdiagnostic approaches to psychopathology have postulated that factors related to perceived control are particularly relevant to mental health. Here we focused on a specific perceived control-related construct: metacognitive beliefs about uncontrollability. Evidence suggests that dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs play a role in the activation and maintenance of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and emotional distress. Metacognitive beliefs about the uncontrollability and danger of worry are the most strongly associated with psychopathology. In this multi-study research, we hypothesized that metacognitive beliefs about uncontrollability make a specific contribution to emotion regulation strategies and clinical symptoms. We tested our hypotheses in four different studies, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally (N = 2224). Participants completed measures of metacognitive beliefs, maladaptive strategies (e.g., worry, thought suppression), and clinical symptoms (e.g., generalized anxiety, emotional distress, depressive and anxiety symptoms). Our results showed that uncontrollability beliefs were the strongest variable associated with maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and clinical symptoms (cross-sectionally), and the only ones that predicted them in the long term. We discuss the theoretical and clinical implications of these results in the light of the metacognitive model and control-related theories.

Checking Different Video Game Mechanics to Assess Cognitive Abilities in Groups with and without Emotional Problems.

This study assesses cognitive abilities through video games for entertainment (Blek, Edge, and Unpossible) that were programmed from scratch to record players' behavior and the levels achieved in a sample without emotional problems and in one with emotional problems. The non-emotional-problem sample was recruited from three universities and two bachelor's degree programs. The emotional-problem sample was recruited from two outpatient centers. The participants in the emotional-problem sample completed reduced versions of the ability tests and video games, as required by their emotional problems. Three subtests of the Differential Aptitude Test that assessed abstract reasoning, visuospatial reasoning, and perceptual speed were selected as ability tests. All participants were required to complete a mental health questionnaire (PROMIS) and a brief questionnaire on their gaming habits and previous experience with the video games used. The results that were obtained showed good convergent validity of the video games as measures of cognitive abilities, and they showed that the behavior of players in the sample without emotional problems while playing predicted the level achieved in the Blek and Unpossible game fragments, but this was only true for Unpossible in the emotional-problem sample; finally, shorter versions of the Blek and Edge game fragments can be used because they maintain their good psychometric properties.

Testing the impaired disengagement hypothesis: The role of attentional control and positive metacognitive beliefs in depression.

The impaired disengagement hypothesis holds that people ruminate - and thus increase their risk for depression - due to impaired attentional control and conflict signaling. We tested this hypothesis by examining the role of attentional control and conflict signaling (operationalized as positive metacognitive beliefs) in rumination and depressive symptoms. We expected that attentional control and positive metacognitive beliefs would be associated with depressive symptoms and that these associations would be cross-sectionally mediated by rumination. We tested two community samples (Study 1, N = 289; Study 2, N = 292), assessing attentional control, positive metacognitive beliefs, rumination, and depressive symptoms. In both studies, attentional control and positive metacognitive beliefs were significantly associated with rumination and depression, and path analyses corroborated the proposed mediation model. Our findings support the impaired disengagement hypothesis, and suggest that attentional control and positive metacognitive beliefs may be informative in the personalization of depression assessment and treatment.

Individual differences in anger and displaced aggression: The role of metacognitive beliefs and anger rumination.

Metacognitive model is a theoretical approach aimed to explain emotion dysregulation and others emotion-related issues, such anger, and aggressive behavior. From this model, people having higher maladaptive metacognitive beliefs (e.g., "I can't control my thoughts") are more likely to activate and maintain anger rumination and, in turn, to experience higher levels of anger and to act aggressively. Preliminary evidence shows the role of metacognitive beliefs on anger rumination and anger levels, whereas no studies have examined its association with aggressive behavior. This study first examined the associations between metacognitive beliefs, anger rumination, anger levels, and the propensity to engage in displaced aggression, and second, the mediation role of anger rumination in the relations among metacognitive beliefs and anger and displaced aggression. Participants were 947 students and non-students from general population recruited in two different countries (Australia and Spain). Correlational analyses revealed a similar pattern of results in the Australian and Spanish sample, with participants having dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs also showing higher anger rumination, higher levels of anger and a higher tendency to act aggressively. Structural equation analyses revealed the associations of metacognitive beliefs with anger levels and displaced aggression was fully mediated by anger rumination in both samples. These results suggest that metacognitive beliefs should be considered in comprehensive models and in the therapy of anger problems and aggression.

Dimensions of Anger Reactions-Revised (DAR-R): Validation of a brief anger measure in Australia and Spain.

OBJECTIVE: A validated, brief measure of anger is needed in clinical settings to screen for problematic anger. This study examined the validity of the seven-item Dimensions of Anger Reactions-Revised (DAR-R), including a version for the Spanish population. METHOD: Multiple psychometric instruments administered to 541 (76.6% female) adults in Australia and 1,115 (56.3% female) in Spain were analyzed. RESULTS: A two-factor model (anger response and anger impairment) was confirmed. Concurrent, convergent, and discriminant validity were supported. Anger response items strongly correlated with established measures of anger/aggression State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (Aggression Questionnaire), whereas anger impairment items strongly correlated with anxiety Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and depression Patient Health Questionnaire-9 measures. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability (3 months) were good. Cut-off scores for problematic anger were established. There were no gender differences in anger in the Spanish sample, but Australian males had higher anger scores than females. CONCLUSION: Results substantiate the utility of the DAR-R as a concise, clinically informative measure of anger.

Negative metacognitive beliefs moderate the influence of perceived stress and anxiety in long-term anxiety.

Metacognitive theory of emotional disorders (Matthews and Wells, 1994; Wells, 2009) suggests that metacognitive beliefs can play a causal role in the development and maintenance of anxiety symptoms. In this prospective study, we examine the relationships between metacognitive beliefs, perceived stress and anxiety in a non-clinical sample. Participants were 135 undergraduate students who completed a battery of questionnaire at two time points (3- months apart). Results revealed metacognitive beliefs do not predict long-term anxiety independently. However, moderation analyses demonstrated negative beliefs about uncontrollability and danger prospectively moderated the relationship between perceived stress and Time 2 anxiety. Negative metacognitive beliefs also interacted with baseline anxiety to predict the change in anxiety symptoms. The results confirm metacognitions play a causal role in anxiety and have implications for cognitive models and the treatment of anxiety.

Help-Seeking among Male Employees in Japan: Influence of Workplace Climate and Distress.

OBJECTIVES: Although using mental health services is an effective way to cope with work-related stressors and diseases, many employees do not utilize these services despite service improvements in recent years. The present study aimed to investigate the interaction effects of workplace climate and distress on help-seeking attitudes, and elucidate the reasons for mental health service underutilization in Japan. METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed to 650 full-time male Japanese employees. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to investigate interaction effects of workplace climate and distress on help-seeking. RESULTS: Results showed that the association between workplace climate and help-seeking attitudes differed depending on employee distress level. For employees experiencing low levels of distress, openness to seeking treatment increased with a higher evaluation of the mental health services available at the workplace. However, the same did not hold true for employees experiencing high levels of distress. Instead, openness to seeking treatment decreased with perceived risk for career disadvantage for high distress employees. Additionally, negative values for seeking treatment in highly distressed employees decreased only when services were perceived as valuable, and the risk to their career was perceived as low. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, these findings indicate that distress distorts the perception of social support, which may lead to underutilization of available services. Assessing employees' distress levels and tailoring adequate interventions could facilitate help-seeking in male employees.

Paradigmas de investigación de los sesgos atencionales en la ansiedad: Una revision teórica / Interference and bias paradigms in anxiety research: A theoretical over view

Una gran cantidad de investigaciones demuestran la existencia de sesgos atencionales hacia la amenaza en la respuesta de ansiedad, habiéndose desarrollado diferentes modelos para explicar estos sesgos. En el presente artículo se revisa la evidencia acerca de los mecanismos de los procesos de atención a través de un examen cuidadoso de los componentes de los modelos cognitivos y los mecanismos que subyacen a estos componentes. En primer lugar, se abordan los conceptos de esquema, control, y sesgo en la interacción de los procesos automáticos y controlados, y se discuten cómo estas funciones pueden contrarrestar los sesgos en las diferentes etapas de procesamiento. Se describen brevemente los sesgos en los paradigmas mencionados y se discuten los procesos y resultados que sí se pueden aprovechar. Por último, se analizan las influencias situacionales y se discuten los factores que moderan en la aparición de dichos resultados. Se discuten los resultados y se plantean recomendaciones para futuras investigaciones

A wealth of research demonstrates attentional biases toward threat in people with elevated levels of anxiety and anxiety disorders. Several models have been developed to explain these biases. In the present article, evidence regarding the mechanisms of attentional processes is reviewed by carefully examining the components of cognitive models and the mechanisms underlying these components. First, the concepts of schema, control, and bias in the interplay of automatic and controlled processes are introduced. Then, a theoretical fractionation of control functions is described, and it is pointed out how these functions could counteract biases at different processing stages. Next, some of the most frequently used bias paradigms in anxiety research are outlined, and it is discussed which processes they may tap. Finally, situational influences and moderators of cognitive biases are considered and recommendations for future research are offered

Spanish version of the Meta-Cognitions Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30).

The Meta-cognitions Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30; Wells & Cartwright-Hatton, 2004) has been used to assess individual differences in metacognitive beliefs considered to be central in the metacognitive theory of generalized anxiety disorder (Wells, 2005). In the present study, the psychometric properties, reliability, and validity of a Spanish adaptation of the MCQ-30 were tested in a broad sample of participants (N = 768) of Spanish nationality aged 16-81 years (31.1% males, 68.9% females). Confirmatory factor analysis showed the expected five-factor structure, which was found to be invariant across gender. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the subscales were adequate, and the expected relationships to theoretically related variables such as pathological worry, meta-worry, thought suppression and trait anxiety were obtained. Convergent validity with other measures of beliefs about worry was also found. Taken together, these findings suggest that the Spanish version of the MCQ-30 is a valid instrument for evaluating metacognitive beliefs in the Spanish-speaking population.

Spanish version of the Meta-cognitions Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30)

The Meta-cognitions Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30; Wells & Cartwright-Hatton, 2004) has been used to assess individual differences in metacognitive beliefs considered to be central in the metacognitive theory of generalized anxiety disorder (Wells, 2005). In the present study, the psychometric properties, reliability, and validity of a Spanish adaptation of the MCQ-30 were tested in a broad sample of participants (N = 768) of Spanish nationality aged 16-81 years (31.1% males, 68.9% females). Confirmatory factor analysis showed the expected five-factor structure, which was found to be invariant across gender. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the subscales were adequate, and the expected relationships to theoretically related variables such as pathological worry, meta-worry, thought suppression and trait anxiety were obtained. Convergent validity with other measures of beliefs about worry was also found. Taken together, these findings suggest that the Spanish version of the MCQ-30 is a valid instrument for evaluating metacognitive beliefs in the Spanish-speaking population (AU)

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Trait anxiety and self-rated health as predictor variables of medical attention in Spanish population

Understanding the factors that affect medical service use is a relevant task with a view to providing improved health services. The goal of the present study was to analyze the effect of self-rated health and trait anxiety in the prediction of the general prevalence of visits to a doctor and of frequent attenders (Fas) in a sample of Spanish population. The participants, 1001 adults randomly selected form Spanish population, reported the number of visits to primary care and specialized attention services during the past year. The general prevalence of visits was 70,7% with a mean of 4.11 visits per year. Good self-rated health was associated with a lower prevalence of visits, whereas participants with high trait anxiety were 2.26 items as likely to use health services. With regard to Fas, worse self-rated health and high trait anxiety were significant predictors of visits to a doctor, even after controlling for the effect of diverse sociodemographic variables. Our results add evidence of the significance of psychological variables when accounting for the use of medical services and reveal the importance of attending to the psychological needs of users who frequently visit a doctor (AU)

Comprender los factores que afectan al uso de los servicios médicos es una tare relevante de cara a mejorar la provisión de los servicios sanitarios. El objetivo del presente estudio fue analizar el efecto de la salud percibida y el rasgo de ansiedad en la predicción de la prevalencia general de visitas así como de los visitadores frecuentes (FAS) en una muestra de población española. Los participantes, 1001 adultos de nacionalidad española seleccionados de forma aleatoria, informaron el número de visitas que realizaron a los servicios de atención primaria y especializada en el último año. La prevalencia general de visitas fue de un 70,7%, con una media de 4.11 visitas por año. Una alta salud percibida de asoció con una menor prevalencia de visitas, mientras que las personas con un algo rasgo de ansiedad tuvieron una probabilidad 2.26 veces mayor de acudir a los servicios sanitarios. En cuanto a los FAS, una peor salud percibida así como un alto rasgo de ansiedad se mostraron como predictores significativo incluso tras controlar el efecto de diferentes variables socio-demográficas. Nuestros resultados añaden evidencias acerca de la importancia de las variables psicológicas a la hora de explicar el uso de los servicios médicos y señalan la importancia de atender las necesidades psicológicas de aquellos usuarios que los visitan con mayor frecuencia (AU)

Correlatos neuropsicológicos y emocionales implicados en el consumo de cocaína: una revisión teórica a los nuevos hallazgos / Neuropsychological and emotional correlates involved in cocaine use: a theoretical review of new findings

El consumo de cocaína concierne un problema de salud alarmante en los países desarrollados. Se trata de un problema de importantes consecuencias a nivel económico, socialy de salud pública. En la actualidad, los esfuerzos se centran en investigar los cambios metabólicos, neuropsicológicos y emocionales derivados del consumo crónico. Sin embargo, no contamos con trabajos de revisión teórica y crítica sobre éste ámbito. El objetivo de nuestro trabajo es revisar e integrar los últimos hallazgos y resultados encontrados en cuanto a las alteraciones metabólicas, neuropsicológicas y emocionales en el abuso de cocaína. Los resultados encontrados muestran un importante deterioro de las vías dopaminérgicas del lóbulo frontal, tanto en el número de receptores como en la depleción del neurotransmisor; así como un importante déficit en función ejecutiva, en inhibición de respuesta, en atención y en memoria operativa. Además, los estudios muestran alteraciones en la capacidad para identificar emociones, en impulsividad, toma de decisiones, ansiedad y depresión (AU)

Cocaine is being an alarming health problem in developed countries. This issue has important implications in economic, social and public health. Currently, efforts are focused on research in metabolic, neuropsychological and emotional changes, resulting from chronic use. However, theoretical work review on this critical area is not available. The aim of our study is to review and integrate the ultimate findings and results in terms of metabolic abnormalities, neuropsychological and emotional abuse of cocaine. The results show a significant impairment of dopaminergic pathways in the frontal lobe, both in the number of recipient and depletion of the neurotransmitter, as well as an important executive function deficit in response inhibition in attention and working memory. In addition, alterations in the ability in identifying emotions, impulsiveness, decision making, anxiety and depression are proved in different studies (AU)