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Permissive beliefs relate to the acceptability of engaging in alcohol use in spite of obvious potential negative consequences. They are considered the most proximal and precipitating cognitive factor in the decision to use alcohol and/or the activation of strategies to obtain it. Recent research suggested that 'desire thinking' may be involved in the escalation of craving and addictive behaviours, and can play a role in strengthening permissive beliefs. The current study tested whether the induction of desire thinking would have a stronger effect on rate of conviction in permissive beliefs compared to a control cognitive response in the form of neutral thinking; and whether this effect would be specific for patients with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Thirty AUD patients and 30 social drinkers (SD) were randomly allocated to two thinking manipulation tasks (desire thinking and neutral thinking). Current permissive beliefs were measured before and after manipulation and after a resting phase. Findings showed that desire thinking increased the level of current permissive beliefs after manipulation relative to the neutral thinking condition for the AUD group but not for the SD group. This effect was not purely dependent on the concurrent level of perceived craving. This study supports a causal relationship between the induction of desire thinking and rate of conviction in permissive beliefs and highlight the relevance of targeting desire thinking in the treatment for AUD patients.

Highlights • A discriminant analysis model of psychosocial factors was devised to differentiate between PIU and CUD. • Compared to the control group, the PIU group had higher scores on motor, attentional and non-planning impulsiveness; tolerance of frustration, emotional pain, and ambiguity; negative and positive metacognitions, need to control thoughts, and cognitive confidence; and RNT. • Compared to the control group, the CUD group had lower scores on family and significant other support; and had higher scores on motor and non-planning impulsiveness; tolerance of frustration, emotional pain, and ambiguity; suppression; need to control thoughts; and RNT. • Social support, tolerance of physical discomfort, reappraisal, and cognitive confidence play a significant role in discriminating PIU and CUD. • The classification analysis results showed that 68.8% of the control group, 70.8% of the PIU group, and 81.3% of the CUD group were correctly classified in their respective groups based on the predictor variables., Researchers have found similarities and differences between behavioral and drug addictions. The present study was designed to explore which of a series of psychosocial predictors of addictive behaviors could differentiate problematic Internet use (PIU) and Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) in a sample of University students. A total of 144 participants (76 males, mean age = 23.03 years ± 2.83) were separated into three groups: those presenting with PIU (18 females, Mean age = 22.27 years), those presenting with CUD (22 female, Mean age = 22.73 years), and a control group (28 female, Mean age = 24.04 years). Participants completed the Internet Abusive Use Questionnaire (IAUQ), the Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11), the Multidimensional Distress Tolerance Scale (MDTS), the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), and the Repetitive Thinking Questionnaire-10 (RTQ-10). The classification analysis results showed that 68.8% of the control group, 70.8% of the PIU group, and 81.3% of the CUD group were correctly classified in their respective groups. In addition, the results of the discriminant function analysis showed that there was a significant difference between members of the PIU and CUD groups in the degree of family support (0.45), significant other (0.33), tolerance of physical discomfort (0.30), reappraisal (0.42), and cognitive confidence (0.35). The findings provide evidence that specific psychosocial predictors can discriminate PIU from CUD.

In the current study, we aimed to test a metacognitive model of self-esteem grounded in the Self-Regulatory Executive Function model of psychopathology.A convenience sample of 346 community participants were recruited and completed a battery of online questionnaires that measured self-esteem, self-criticism, self-critical rumination, metacognitions about self-critical rumination, generic metacognitions and negative affect. Initially, we tested a series of hypotheses to establish the relationships between the study variables. We then conducted a path analysis to test a metacognitive model of self-esteem, where the process of self-critical rumination and its associated metacognitive beliefs was hypothesized to mediate the relationship between affect and self-esteem.Self-critical rumination and its associated negative metacognitions, levels of depression and self-criticism independently predicted self-esteem. However, the multicollinearity between rumination and metacognitions suggests that one might not exist without the other. Additionally, a path analysis revealed that the study data was a very good fit to the proposed metacognitive model of self-esteem.The metacognitive model of self-esteem presented in this paper may be used to generate novel interventions to improve self-esteem and decrease self-critical rumination.

© 2019 Elsevier Ltd Research has indicated that craving is one of the strongest predictors of treatment outcome and relapse in Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD) but there is little consensus on the factors that may influence its activation and escalation. Research has also shown that desire thinking is an important cognitive process which may exacerbate craving in problem drinkers. The aim of present study was to explore, for the first time, the role of desire thinking in prospectively predicting relapse, craving and binge drinking in patients receiving treatment for AUD. One hundred and thirty-five patients admitted to two rehabilitation centres and two outpatient services for addiction and mental health problems were administered baseline, treatment completion and three months follow-up measures of anxiety and depression, AUD severity, binge drinking frequency, craving and desire thinking. Results indicated that the verbal perseveration component of desire thinking at treatment completion was the only significant predictor of relapse at follow-up over and above baseline AUD severity and binge drinking frequency. Furthermore, the imaginal prefiguration component of desire thinking and craving levels at treatment completion were found to predict craving levels at follow-up independently of AUD severity and binge drinking frequency at baseline. Finally, both the imaginal prefiguration and verbal perseveration components of desire thinking at treatment completion were found to be the only predictors of binge drinking frequency at follow-up independently of AUD severity and binge drinking frequency at baseline. Treatments for AUD should aim to reduce desire thinking in people to enhance clinical outcomes and reduce relapse risk.

Poor attentional control leads to attentional biases that have been implicated in a range of psychiatric disorders and symptoms of psychological distress. Attention Training Technique (ATT) is an auditory intervention that aims to strengthen attentional control. A growing body of research indicates that ATT alleviates anxiety and depressive symptoms. The present study is a randomized control trial with repeated measures that tested if a lab-based, single-exposure of ATT strengthened attentional control using an objective measure of attention. Forty-six nonclinical participants who self-reported high anxiety/worry were recruited and randomly allocated to receive either ATT or a sham control intervention. Attentional control was assessed using both the standard and a modified version of the colour-word Stroop task. The modified version incorporated tactile interference to increase perceptual load and amplify the visual signal-to-noise ratio of the Stroop task. A series of mixed effects models, simple contrasts, and z-tests were used to evaluate if cross-modal interference worsened, and whether ATT was beneficial to, attentional control. Tactile interference increased reaction times but, when Stroop interference was controlled for, this was only true on incongruent trials. The impact of ATT was greatest under high perceptual load. A lab-based, single-exposure of ATT improves attentional control. This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article to be published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Cognitive Psychology available online: https://tandfonline.com/toc/pecp21/current

Desire thinking is an emerging construct which has been shown to play a role in addictive behaviors. The present study sought to validate a translated Persian version of the Desire Thinking Questionnaire (DTQ) in three groups of individuals with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD; n = 300), nicotine dependence (n = 300), and problematic social media use (n = 300). All three groups completed the translated Persian version of the DTQ, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-15 (BIS-15), the White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI), and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Measures of alcohol use, nicotine dependence and problematic social media use were also collected. The results confirmed a two-factor structure of the Persian version of the DTQ with good reliability and validity in all three groups. Furthermore, both the verbal perseveration and imaginal prefiguration components of the Persian version of the DTQ were found to predict addictive behaviors beyond demographic and clinical characteristics, negative affect, impulsiveness, and thought suppression. The study confirms the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the DTQ and the role of desire thinking as an independent predictor of AUD, nicotine dependence, and the problematic use of social media.

Past research has shown that perfectionism, can negatively impact self-esteem. However, the mediating factors that explain this relationship remain unclear. The current study aimed to investigate whether specific cognitive processes, namely, self-critical rumination and associated metacognitions, mediate this relationship. An opportunity sample of 347 participants completed a battery of online questionnaires measuring clinical perfectionism, self-critical rumination, metacognitions about self-critical rumination, self-esteem, and levels of psychological distress. Several hypotheses were tested to examine the associations between the study variables. Following this, a path analysis was used to determine whether the influence of perfectionistic concerns and perfectionistic striving on self-esteem is mediated by positive metacognitions about self-critical rumination, self-critical rumination, and negative metacognitions about self-critical rumination, serially. Positive metacognitions about self-critical rumination, self-critical rumination, and negative metacognitions about self-critical rumination partially mediated the relationship between perfectionistic concerns and self-esteem and fully mediated the relationship between perfectionistic striving and self-esteem. These results point towards possible interventions for those who struggle with low self-esteem due to their perfectionistic tendencies. Further investigations should explore additional factors that help to explain why perfectionism impacts self-esteem levels, whilst also addressing the limitations of this current research.

The current study aimed to investigate the mediating role of metacognitions, intolerance of uncertainty and emotion regulation in the relationship between fear of COVID-19 (FC-19) and health anxiety, among families with COVID-19 infected. Participants were 541 individuals from family members of patients with COVID-19 (F = 52.3%, mean age = 41.3 ± 13.2 years). Data were collected with a packet including sociodemographic and risk factors, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the Short Health Anxiety Inventory, the Metacognitions Questionnaire 30, the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-12 and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Structural equation modelling analyses revealed a full mediation of metacognitions (i.e., positive beliefs about worry, negative beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger, cognitive confidence and beliefs about the need to control thoughts), intolerance of uncertainty and expressive suppression in the relation between FC-19 and health anxiety. Moreover, the strongest indirect links were found between FC-19 and health anxiety through negative beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger and intolerance of uncertainty. These associations were independent of gender and risk status. The final model accounted for 71% of the variance of health anxiety. These findings suggest that particularly metacognitions, intolerance of uncertainty and expressive suppression play a full mediational role in the relation between FC-19 and health anxiety. [Abstract copyright: © 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.]

The most common behavioral addictions in adolescents are Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD), and Problematic Social Networks Use (PSNU). In the present study, we investigated whether thought suppression and impulsiveness mediate the relationship between metacognitions and these three behavioral addictions (IGD, CSBD and PSNU). In Study 1 (n = 471), we examined whether online gaming thought suppression and impulsiveness mediate the relationship between metacognitions and IGD. In Study 2 (n = 453), we examined whether sex thought suppression and impulsiveness mediate the relationship between metacognitions and CSBD. In Study 3 (n = 1004), we examined whether social media thought suppression and impulsiveness mediate the relationship between metacognitions and PSNU. Results of path analysis indicated, across the three studies, the importance of both thought suppression and impulsiveness as mediators between metacognitions and the three behavioral addictions (IGD, CSBD and PSNU) being investigated. These findings provide an opportunity for therapists as well as educators to gain a better insight into the link between metacognitions, thought suppression, impulsiveness, and behavioral addictions as part of developmental behavior among adolescents.

Background: The use of new technologies is growing, and some authors have suggested that frequent use might hide a non-chemical addiction (i.e., technological addiction). Over the last five years several studies investigating the role of metacognitions in technological addictions have been published. We aim to provide the first systematic review focused on this topic, by updating the initial evidence highlighted by a previous systematic review on metacognitions across addictive behaviors (Hamonniere & Varescon, 2018) Methods: Electronic literature databases (Pubmed, PsychINFO, SCOPUS, and Web of Science) were searched to identify studies that examined the relationship between metacognitions and four different technological addictions (Internet Gaming Disorder, IGD; problematic Internet use, PIU; problematic smartphone use, PSU; and problematic social networking sites use.) Results: We found 13 empirical studies published between 2018 and 2021. Positive low-to-moderate cross-sectional associations between the four technological addictions and both generic and specific metacognitions were found, in accordance with the metacognitive model of addictive behaviors. Positive beliefs about worry, negative beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger, beliefs about the need to control thoughts, and a lack of cognitive confidence were associated with IGD, PIU, PSU, and PSNSU. Conclusions: The absence of longitudinal studies prevent us from providing definitive answers about the role of metacognitions in technological addictions. Despite this limitation, interventions that target metacognitions could be beneficial for people presenting with technological addictions.

Research on metacognitions and repetitive negative thinking in patients with Personality Disorder (PD) is scarce. We aimed to determine if metacognitions and repetitive negative thinking differed between patients with PD and those without PD, and if metacognitions would predict repetitive negative thinking in patients with PD controlling for several variables. A sample of 558 clinical participants were assessed for the presence of a PD diagnosis and completed the following questionnaires: Penn-State Worry Questionnaire, Ruminative Response Scale, Metacognitions Questionnaire 30, Beck Anxiety Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory. Compared to patients without a diagnosis of PD, patients with a PD diagnosis reported higher scores on both rumination and worry (as well as depression and anxiety) and three out of five of the MCQ-30 subscales (positive beliefs about worry, negative beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger, and beliefs about the need to control thoughts). Furthermore, the results of two hierarchical regression analyses in patients with a diagnosis of PD indicated that positive beliefs about worry and negative beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger were independent predictors of worry, and that negative beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger and cognitive self-consciousness were independent predictors of rumination. Metacognitions and repetitive negative thinking may play a role in the severity of psychological distress experienced in PD presentations. The implications of these findings are discussed. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.]

Whilst limited previous work has detailed the influence of personal and social identities on the development and maintenance of a number of addictive behaviours, fewer still have determined whether specific aspects of group identification are more or less predictive of ongoing (problematic) behaviour. Using Leach et al. (2008) hierarchical model of in-group identification, we examined the relationship between components of self-definition (individual self-stereotyping, in-group homogeneity) and components of self-investment (satisfaction, solidarity, and centrality) on problematic Facebook use (adapted from Caplan’s (2010) Generalised Problematic Internet Use Scale 2) in 73 current Facebook users. Results showed that (i) in-group-based identities are important in predicting levels of Facebook use; (ii) aspects of group membership identity associated with how invested an individual is with the in-group (centrality and solidarity) are particularly important whereas those aspects which reflect self-definition (self-stereotyping, in-group homogeneity) are not; (iii) perceptions associated with a sense of belonging and attachment to other group members (solidarity) and, most importantly, how chronically salient one’s group membership is for the self (centrality) are fundamental aspects of this self-investment mechanism; and (iv) aspects of problematic Facebook use associated specially with cognitive preoccupation and behavioural compulsivity are not influenced by identity-based factors.

Background and aimsProblematic Internet Use (PIU) might be a potential mental health problem. Few studies have investigated the relative contribution of individual and family factors in the development of PIU in early adolescence. The aim of the current study was to model the relationship between attachment styles, negative beliefs about worry, and PIU in early adolescence.MethodsFive hundred and thirty-eight Italian early adolescents (51% females, M age = 12.7 years, SD = 0.87) were included in this study. The pattern of relationships specified by the theoretical model was examined through path analysis.ResultsResults showed that avoidance (mother) and anxiety (father) were directly associated with PIU. Anxiety (mother) and avoidance (father) were indirectly associated with PIU via negative beliefs about worry.Discussion and conclusionsOverall, our findings show that attachment toward mother and father are differently linked to PIU and that negative beliefs about worry may play a mediating role in the association between attachment and PIU. Findings are discussed within clinical and preventive implications.

The psychological and social effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic are pervasive, and there is potential for a long‐lasting impact on mental health. In the current study, we sought to provide, in a representative sample of UK residents during the third COVID‐19 lockdown in February 2021, further evidence for the validation of the COVID‐19 anxiety syndrome construct. We did this by evaluating the COVID‐19 anxiety syndrome against measures of personality, health anxiety and COVID‐19 anxiety in predicting levels of generalized anxiety and depression and by examining whether increased health anxiety and COVID‐19 psychological distress (COVID‐19 anxiety and COVID‐19 anxiety syndrome) scores were associated with increased attentional bias to COVID‐19‐related stimuli. A series of correlation analyses revealed that neuroticism, health anxiety, COVID‐19 anxiety and COVID‐19 anxiety syndrome scores were positively and significantly correlated with generalized anxiety and depression scores and that the perseveration component of the COVID‐19 anxiety syndrome predicted generalized anxiety and depression scores independently of age, gender, conscientiousness, openness, health anxiety and COVID‐19 anxiety. Furthermore, results indicated that only the total COVID‐19 anxiety syndrome score and the scores on the avoidance and perseveration components were positively and significantly correlated with attentional bias indices. More specifically, the general attentional bias index was only shown to be positively and significantly correlated with the total COVID‐19 anxiety syndrome score and its perseveration component, while slowed disengagement was only shown to be negatively and significantly correlated with the total COVID‐19 anxiety syndrome score and its avoidance component. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Background:Self-critical rumination is the process of repetitively thinking about one’s past instances of failure without actively problem-solving. Shame has a central role within self-critical rumination and is accompanied by physiological changes that resemble stress responses.Aims:To experimentally investigate the effects of self-critical rumination on shame and stress following perceived failure.Method:Sixty volunteers engaged in an impossible task that resulted in guaranteed failure. Four groups, combining presence or absence of induced self-critical rumination with high or low performance expectations, were created. Self-reports were used to measure levels of shame and stress at baseline immediately after the task, as well as following a debrief on the real purpose of the study.Results:Participants experiencing self-critical rumination accompanied by high performance expectations reported higher levels of shame and stress, especially immediately following the impossible task. On average, members of the high-expectations groups tended to score higher on shame and stress scales. Reported levels of trait self-critical rumination were also significantly correlated with levels of shame and stress across time when controlling for group membership and baseline stress and shame, respectively.Conclusions:Self-critical rumination in highly evaluative circumstances increased levels of shame and stress following perceived failure. Even though highly evaluative conditions are considered a particularly strong predictor of shame and stress, they could potentially result in self-critical rumination; this matter needs to be addressed in future research.

© 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The aim of the current study was to test the validity of the Norwegian version of the Desire Thinking Questionnaire (DTQ). Three cross-sectional surveys were conducted investigating the psychometric properties of the DTQ in alcohol use (N = 588), nicotine use (N = 446) and social media use (N = 359). Principal components and confirmatory factor analyses supported the original two-factor solution consisting of verbal perseveration (VP) and imaginal prefiguration (IP); however, one item was removed to obtain good fit. Internal consistency was acceptable. Both IP and VP showed significant correlations with problem drinking, nicotine dependence and problematic social media use. Regression analyses, controlling for demographics and negative affect, found IP and VP to be significantly associated with all dependent variables. The results confirm that desire thinking is an important construct across different addictive behaviours.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to critique the current manner in which cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is delivered, with a focus on the impact of evidence-based practice.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based upon the experiences, ideas and clinical practice of the authors.FindingsThe reductionist approach based on psychiatric diagnosis is put forward as the mechanism by which CBT has gradually lost its status as a form of psychotherapy.Originality/valueAn alternative framework based on revitalising CBT as a client centred, problem-based and formulation driven form of therapy is put forward.

© 2017 The Australian Psychological Society.Background: Impulsivity is considered a core clinical feature in borderline personality disorder (BPD). Evidence also indicates that impulsivity is part of the biological vulnerability for BPD. The purpose of the study was to verify if the presence of substance-related and addictive disorders (SRADs) may increase impulsivity and aggression in BPD. Methods: Eighty patients (27 with BPD, 26 with BPD and SRAD, 27 with other personality disorders (OPDs)) completed a comprehensive assessment for personality disorder symptoms, impulsivity, and aggressive behaviour. Results: BPD patients with SRAD showed higher scores on impulsivity and aggression compared with other groups. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed between BPD and OPD patients on impulsivity and aggression. Conclusion: The presence of SRAD was found to be a mediator between BPD and impulsive and aggressive behaviour. The findings are discussed and directions for future research presented.

In recent years, researchers have been showing an increasing interest in the conceptualization of problematic Facebook use, and its associations with individual characteristics. The present meta-analysis aimed to summarize the findings of the recent literature on this topic with the aim of understanding the specific features of this phenomenon (that is, its associations with the time spent online and the broader concept of Internet addiction), and the individual characteristics of Facebook users (including gender differences, personality traits, self-esteem levels, and motivations for using Facebook). The sample included 56 independent samples with a total of 27,867 participants (59.22% females; mean age=23.94 years (SD=4.75). Briefly, results showed a small gender effect favoring females and a positive association between problematic Facebook use, time spent online and Internet addiction, whereas a negative association was found with self-esteem. Neuroticism and conscientiousness were the most clearly personality traits associated with problematic Facebook use, and the strongest associations observed between problematic Facebook use and motives with internal source and motives with negative valence. This comprehensive meta-analysis makes contributions to understanding the phenomenon of problematic Facebook use and its relation with individual characteristics. PFU is positively linked to Internet addiction and time spent online.PFU is negatively associated with self-esteem.PFU is clearly positively associated with neuroticism and conscientiousness.PFU is positively associated with motive for using Facebook.

This paper critically examines the historical conceptualization of cognitive behavioral psychotherapy approaches (CBT) as a direct clinical counterpart of the cognitive revolution. The main “second wave” cognitive psychotherapies, either standard cognitive therapy (CT) or constructivist, in spite of their differences, share a common conceptualization of psychopathological factors as superordinate structural cognitive content belonging to the self: self-beliefs, self-schemata, personality organizations and so on. On the other hand, rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) is an exception given that in REBT self-knowledge is not the core psychopathological tenet, being rather a derivate mechanism. Moreover, in non clinical cognitive science cognition is conceived as a regulatory function that operates retroactively and not in a hierarchically super- ordered fashion centered on the self. A historical review suggests that in both CT and constructivist model the structuralistic model of self-centered cognition may have emerged for both cultural and scientific reasons: self-centered cognitive models may be more readily understandable to clinicians as they allow for a straightforward identification of operationalizable self-beliefs. The emergence of new “third wave” process-centered CBT approaches may represent a comeback to functionalism, where cognition is considered again a regulatory function and not a structure. In addition, REBT’s interest in dysfunctional evaluations not focused on the self presaged this clinical and scientific turning point toward functionalism.

Desire thinking (voluntary thinking involving a perseverative focusing on desired target-related memories, images, and information), is an important factor in the experience of drinking urges and cravings. Research has not examined the relationship between desire thinking, behavioural intention and the implementation of that behaviour into action, nor how one’s past repeated behaviour in situ (expressed as habit) may moderate these relationships. We employed an ad libitum drinking paradigm to provide indirect measures of in-the-moment drinking behaviours (amount poured [mls] and amount consumed [mls]) in a group of eighty-eight self-defined social drinkers immediately after measuring self-reported drinking habit, drinking-related desire thinking, and general drinking behaviour. Results confirmed the predicted positive relationship between desire thinking and in-the-moment drinking behaviour with the effects increasing as a function of rising drinking habit strength. We also observed a dissociation between desire thinking components (verbal perseveration and imaginal prefiguration) in the moderating effects of habit strength on drinking behaviour. For imaginal prefiguration (thoughts related to construction of mental images of a desired target or of its context for consumption) a direct effect on drinking behaviours was shown. In comparison, the effect for verbal perseveration (repetitive self-talk regarding the need to achieve a desired target) was not shown to independently predict drinking-related behaviour but was significantly moderated by increasing drinking-related habit strength. Future work should formulate the nature of this moderating influence on perseverative goal-directed thinking.

The aim of the study was to test whether, and how much, specific objective Facebook behaviours are more frequent in problematic than non-problematic Facebook users. Differences between problematic and non-problematic Facebook users in objective Facebook behaviours were examined using frequentist and Bayesian t-tests. Participants were undergraduate students (n=297, 80.8% female, age mean=21.05, standard deviation=1.88). Problematic Facebook use was assessed using fifteen items adapted from the scale developed and validated for the measurement of Generalized Problematic Internet Use. A specific R package was developed to obtain information about objective Facebook behaviours (friendship activities, events, wall activities, and text messages). T-tests indicated that non-problematic and problematic users significantly differ in several objective Facebook behaviours. Bayesian analyses confirmed t-test results and supported that Problematic users scored higher than non-problematic users in several dependent variables, such as number of friendships established, number of events attended, all wall activities (e.g. number of like), and private messages sent. The analysis of data about objective Facebook behaviours goes beyond the self-reported information about such activities, and helps to understand the role of its potentially addictive activities in predicting PFU. Objective Facebook behaviours were used overcoming self-report measures.The relation between objective data and problematic Facebook use was showed.Problematic Facebook users scored higher than non-problematic in several activities.All wall activities and private messages were more frequent in problematic users.Objective Facebook behaviours should be considered in tackling PFU.

The metacognitive approach conceptualizes the relationship between anger and rumination as driven by metacognitive beliefs, which are information individuals hold about their own cognition and about coping strategies that impact on it. The present study aimed to test the prospective predictive impact of metacognitive beliefs and rumination on anger in a community sample. Seventy-six participants were recruited and engaged in a 2-week anger, rumination, and metacognitive beliefs monitoring protocol. A multi-wave panel design was employed to test whether metacognitive beliefs and rumination have a prospective impact on anger. Metacognitive beliefs and rumination were found to have a significant prospective impact on anger that was independent from the number of triggering events. Metacognitive beliefs about the need to control thoughts were shown to have a direct impact on subsequent anger, independently from rumination. These findings provide support for the potential value for applying metacognitive theory and therapy to anger-related problems. Aggr. Behav. 9999:1-9, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

© 2016 International Association for Cognitive Psychotherapy.Behavioral and cognitive therapies for addictive behaviors have shown clinical utility, however, many patients continue to experience residual symptoms, particularly craving, a major precipitating factor in relapse. We review a desire-related cognitive elaboration, termed desire thinking, which has been found to play an important role in the perpetuation and escalation of both craving and addictive behaviors. We argue that novel treatment approaches, rooted in metacognitive therapy, may help to interrupt the perseveration of desire thinking and improve the well-being of populations suffering from addictive behaviors.

Psychological mechanisms that may explain the link between peer victimization and its adverse outcomes are still understudied. The current study aimed to apply the Self-Regulatory Executive Function (S-REF) model of psychopathology (Wells & Matthews, 1994, 1996) to help explain this link in a sample of adolescents. A total of 1,169 Italian adolescents (47.7% females; Mage = 15.79, SD = 1.07) completed self-report measures of peer victimization, metacognitions, thinking styles (worry and rumination), and adjustment indices (somatic symptoms, anxiety, depression). The hypothesized model based on the S-REF model was tested through path analysis. Results confirmed that peer victimization was positively associated with both positive and negative metacognitions that, in turn, were linked to worry and rumination, which were associated with higher psychological and somatic problems. The strongest indirect links were found between peer victimization and anxiety via negative metacognitions and worry, and between victimization and depression via negative metacognitions and rumination. Overall, the results support to the application of the S-REF model to peer victimization experiences during adolescence. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

OBJECTIVES: Off periods in Parkinson's disease are associated with a worsening of nonmotor symptoms and acute psychological distress. The relationship between motor fluctuations and episodic distress in naturalistic settings remains unclear, particularly the role of individual psychological factors. This study aimed to identify those factors through real-life, real-time assessment using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). METHOD: Twenty participants (seven female) completed multiple brief prompted surveys over a 7-day period assessing current motor and medication state, social situation, episodic distress, and cognitive processes (rumination, symptom focus, and worry). Baseline depression and anxiety were measured using validated questionnaires, as were positive and negative beliefs and attitudes (metacognitions) regarding cognitive processes. The feasibility of EMA via smartphones was assessed at the end of the study. RESULTS: Across participants, 496 complete data sets were collected. Generalized linear mixed-model regression analyses showed that episodic distress was predicted by a combination of cognitive processes, F(1, 483) = 41.14, p CONCLUSIONS: Time of day, cognitive processes, and negative metacognitions predict episodic distress independent of motor state. This indicates potential targets for nonpharmacological interventions aimed at alleviating episodic distress in patients with motor fluctuations. EMA is a feasible methodology for Parkinson's disease research and potential tool for delivering such interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Anxiety and depression add to the burden of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Fibromyalgia (FM), and Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). Metacognitions play a role in this distress. The Metacognitions about Symptoms Control Scale (MaSCS) measures metacognitive beliefs regarding symptoms but has weaknesses. The current study created a revised MaSCS (MaSCS-R) in English, German, and Arabic versions using CFS, FM, and T1DM samples, and examined the transcultural, transdiagnostic, and concurrent validity of metacognitions about symptom control. This study used data from a total of 563 participants clinically diagnosed with CFS (n = 124; English), FM (n = 348; German), or T1DM (n = 91; Lebanese). CFS and FM data had been used in earlier published studies but were subjected to new analyses. CFS data was used to create the English version of the MaSCS-R, and FM and T1DM data for German and Arabic versions. Metacognitions about worry, anxiety, depression, and symptom severity were measured. The three MaSCS-R versions, consisting of two factors (each with four items), had adequate psychometric properties, possessing configural and metric invariance. Metacognitive factors were associated with distress and symptom severity in all three samples. Metacognitions about symptom control have transcultural, transdiagnostic, and concurrent validity. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Fernie, B.A., Aoun, A., Kollman, J., Spada, M.M., and Nikcevic, A.V. (2019). Transcultural, transdiagnostic, and concurrent validity of a revised Metacognitions about Symptoms Control Scale. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, which has been published in final form at 10.1002/cpp.2367 . This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions

The role of worry and rumination in eating disorders (EDs) is controversial. This meta-analysis of the literature is aimed at clarifying the relationship between repetitive negative thinking (RNT) and EDs. In accordance with the PRISMA criteria, a comprehensive search of the literature was conducted on PubMed and PsycInfo from inception to March 2021. Search terms: “eating disorder/anorexia/bulimia/binge eating disorder” AND “worry/rumination/brooding/repetitive thinking”. A manual search of reference lists was also run. Forty-three studies were included. RNT was found to be associated with anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder. A moderating effect was found for “presence/absence ED diagnosis” and “subtype of ED symptom”. ED patients showed higher RNT than the general population. No differences were observed for age or between worry and rumination in the magnitude of their association with EDs.

OBJECTIVE: Desire thinking is a voluntary cognitive process involving verbal and imaginal elaboration of a desired target. Recent research has revealed that desire thinking may play a significant role in the escalation of craving. The goal of this study was to explore the effect of a desire thinking induction on craving in a sample of patients with alcohol use disorder. METHODS: Ten patients with alcohol use disorder were exposed to a brief exposure to alcohol-related thoughts plus desire thinking induction versus brief exposure to alcohol-related thoughts plus distraction. RESULTS: The induction of desire thinking led to a significant increase in distress and urge to use alcohol when compared to a behavioural assessment test and a distraction task. The clinical implications for the treatment of alcohol use disorder are discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. KEY PRACTITIONER MESSAGE: Psychotherapeutic strategies that target desire thinking, both at the assessment and at the intervention levels, may be relevant in the treatment of craving-related problems. Deriving and illustrating the role of desire thinking in a given episode of craving may support the development of metacognitive awareness about its functions and consequences. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Language: en

Third wave cognitive and behavioral therapies have garnered significant attention in the study and treatment of addiction. Such treatments employ a process-oriented, transdiagnostic approach to mitigate problematic thought and behavioral patterns and consequences associated with substance use. Although initial evidence is promising, much remains unknown regarding the impact of third wave processes on substance use behavior and treatment outcomes. Additionally, more work is needed to elucidate the potential of novel third wave treatments on substance use outcomes. If proven successful, third wave processes and therapies may hold the key to disrupt the huge financial, societal, and personal burden associated with addiction. This Special Issue highlights recent, scientifically rigorous, clinically applicable advances in current understanding of third wave cognitive and behavioral processes and therapies for substance use. Research presented in this Special Issue covers topics ranging from the role and application of mindfulness in the etiology of substance use behavior, treatment outcomes, and familial support; the potential of transdiagnostic factors as important considerations for vulnerable groups; and the development and refinement of novel technological and integrated interventions. This Special Issue is organized into three parts classified as third wave processes and substance use behavior; third wave processes in traditional substance use treatment and their malleability; and third wave treatments for substance use among special populations. It is hoped that this issue will alert readers to the significance of this work, illustrate the many domains currently being explored via process-oriented, transdiagnostic treatment, and identify promising and impactful areas for research.

Highlights • First study to investigate metacognitions in cannabis use. • Negative affect, parenting styles and metacognitions were correlated with cannabis use. • Coercive authoritarian parenting style and cognitive confidence predicted cannabis use., Metacognitions, the beliefs held about internal mental processes and the strategies aimed at controlling such processes, are known to play a significant role in the development and maintenance of addictive behaviours. Specifically, lack of cognitive confidence and beliefs about the need to control thoughts have been implicated across addictive behaviours. No research to date, though, has explored the role of metacognitions in cannabis use. Research has also shown that an authoritarian parenting style (where a parent uncompromisingly enforces their own ideas regardless of the will of the child) may be correlated with addictive behaviours. However very limited research has investigated the role of parenting styles in cannabis use. In the current study we aimed to investigate the relative contribution of parenting styles and metacognitions to cannabis use. A sample of 85 participants completed a series of online questionnaires, measuring negative affect, parenting styles, metacognitions and cannabis use. Spearman correlations indicated that cannabis use was positively correlated with each of the metacognitions and both permissive and authoritarian parenting styles. Regression analyses demonstrated that a combination of the physically coercive aspects of the authoritarian parental style and lack of cognitive confidence predicted cannabis use when controlling for negative affect. The implications of the current findings are discussed.

Background: procrastination is highly prevalent amongst students and impairs academic performance. The metacognitive model of procrastination explains a significant proportion of unintentional procrastination variance. However, the model has yet to be tested using academic performance as the dependent variable. We tested whether the metacognitive model of procrastination explained self-reported academic performance (AP). Methods: a convenience sample of 204 current undergraduate and postgraduate students completed a battery of online questionnaires that measured intentional and unintentional procrastination, metacognitions about procrastination, AP, and depression. We conducted a series of correlation analyses and a path analysis (based on the metacognitive model of procrastination) that specified AP as the dependent variable. Results: the correlation analyses indicated that there are significant, negative associations between AP and depression, AP and negative metacognitions about procrastination, and AP and unintentional procrastination. The tested model was a good fit of the data and explained 13% of the variance in AP. Limitations: this study is cross-sectional. Conclusions: our findings provide further support for the metacognitive model of procrastination, indicating that novel interventions that target metacognitions may help to tackle procrastination and optimize AP.

We are pleased to welcome you to the launch of Addictive Behaviors Reports, a new online only, open-access and peer reviewed journal offering an interdisciplinary forum for the publication of research in addictive behaviors. Addictive Behaviors Reports accepts submissions that are scientifically sound on all forms of addictive behavior (such as alcohol, drugs, gambling, nicotine and technology) with a primary focus on behavioral and psycho-social research. The emphasis of the journal is primarily empirical. That is, sound experimental design combined with valid, reliable assessment and evaluation procedures are a requisite for acceptance.

The aim of the current study was to test the direct and indirect influence of parents’ drinking motives and problem drinking on their children’s drinking motives, alcohol use and substance misuse. Cross-sectional analysis of parent and child drinking patterns and motives, derived from the nationally representative Drinkaware Monitor panel survey. The sample comprised a total of 148 couples of parents and child. Path analysis revealed that children’s alcohol use and substance misuse were influenced by their own drinking motives and parents’ problem drinking. Parents’ conformity motives were linked to their children’s conformity motives. Finally, parental drinking problems mediated the effect of their coping motives on their childrens’ alcohol use and substance misuse. In conclusions, parental drinking styles relate to their children’s alcohol use and substance misuse through problem drinking and drinking motives.

Objective: Research has found that the prevalence of psychological distress is substantially higher in transgender compared to cisgender populations. This study explored the role of metacognitions as mediators of anxiety in a sample comprising of cisgender and transgender individuals. Method: 125 individuals (19 trans-male; 24 male; 25 trans-female; 57 female) completed a series of measures that assessed metacognitions, worry, and anxiety. Results: Correlation analyses were used to identify potential mediators of the relationship between gender identity and anxiety. A mediation model indicated that beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger entirely mediated the relationship between gender identity and anxiety (b= 2.00, BCa CI [0.68, 3.49]). Conclusions: Metacognitions play an important role in anxiety in transgender individuals.

Earlier research has implicated metacognitions and attentional control in procrastination and self-regulatory failure. This study tested several hypotheses: (1) that metacognitions would be positively correlated with decisional procrastination; (2) that attentional control would be negatively correlated with decisional procrastination; (3) that metacognitions would be negatively correlated with attentional control; and (4) that metacognitions and attentional control would predict decisional procrastination when controlling for negative affect. One hundred and twenty-nine participants completed the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21, the Meta-Cognitions Questionnaire 30, the Attentional Control Scale, and the Decisional Procrastination Scale. Significant relationships were found between all three attentional control factors (focusing, shifting, and flexible control of thought) and two metacognitions factors (negative beliefs concerning thoughts about uncontrollability and danger, and cognitive confidence). Results also revealed that decisional procrastination was significantly associated with negative affect, all measured metacognitions factors, and all attentional control factors. In the final step of a hierarchical regression analysis only stress, cognitive confidence, and attention shifting were independent predictors of decisional procrastination. Overall these findings support the hypotheses and are consistent with the Self-Regulatory Executive Function model of psychological dysfunction. The implications of these findings are discussed.

The present study explored the relationship between metacognitions, attentional control, and the severity of gambling in problem gamblers. One hundred and twenty six problem gamblers completed the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21, the Meta-Cognitions Questionnaire 30, the Attentional Control Scale, and the Problem Gambling Severity Index. Results revealed that negative affect, four out of five metacognitions factors (positive beliefs about worry, negative beliefs about thoughts concerning danger and uncontrollability, cognitive confidence and beliefs about the need to control thoughts), and all attentional control factors (focusing, shifting and flexible control of thought) were correlated, in the predicted directions, with the severity of gambling. The same metacognitions were also found to be correlated, in the predicted directions, with attention focusing, however only negative beliefs about thoughts concerning danger and uncontrollability and cognitive confidence were found to be correlated with attention shifting and flexible control of thought. A hierarchical regression analysis showed that beliefs about the need to control thoughts were the only predictor of the severity of gambling controlling for negative affect. Overall these findings support the hypotheses and are consistent with the metacognitive model of psychological dysfunction. The implications of these findings are discussed., Highlights • First study to investigate the role of attentional control in problem gamblers • Attentional control associated to the severity of gambling • Metacognitions predicted the severity of gambling controlling for attentional control. • Clinical implications of the findings considered

Introduction The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the construct of desire thinking and test a metacognitive model of desire thinking and craving, based on the work of Spada, Caselli and Wells (2012; 2013), which aims to explain the perseveration of desire thinking. Method We conducted two studies involving four clinical samples (total N = 493) and a community sample (N = 494) presenting with different addictive behaviors. The relationships among variables were examined by testing the fit of path models within each sample. Results In the model presented it was proposed that positive metacognitions about desire thinking are associated with, in turn, imaginal prefiguration and verbal perseveration, marking the activation of desire thinking. Verbal perseveration is then associated to negative metacognitions about desire thinking and craving denoting the pathological escalation of desire thinking. Finally, a direct association between positive metacognitions about desire thinking and negative metacognitions about desire thinking would mark those occasions where target-achieving behaviour runs as an automatized schemata without the experience of craving. Results indicated a good model fit in the clinical sample and a variation in the model structure in the community sample. Conclusion These findings provide further support for the application of metacognitive theory to desire thinking and craving in addictive behaviors.

Low self-esteem is a feature of several mental health disorders that has been directly treated with Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The aim of our study was to determine the efficacy of interventions for improving low self-esteem in adults by utilizing the model outlined in Fennell (1997; 1998; 1999). A literature search identified 8 studies that met the inclusion criteria of CBT-based interventions for low self-esteem using this model, 7 of which were used in a quantitative synthesis. These studies included weekly group and individual sessions and one-day workshop formats. Summary effect sizes of 1.12 and 0.34 at post-treatment were observed, with low levels of heterogeneity, for weekly sessions and one-day workshops, respectively. Comparable results were found for the reduction of depressive symptoms. Results suggest that CBT-based interventions may be efficacious for treating individuals with low self-esteem, according to changes in self-report measures; however, it is unclear whether these interventions are dissimilar to those aimed at reducing depression.

Recent research has suggested that metacognitions may play a role across the spectrum of addictive behaviours. The goal of our studies was to develop the first self-report scale of metacognitions about gambling. We conducted three studies with one community (n = 165) and two clinical (n = 110; n = 87) samples to test the structure and psychometric properties of the Metacognitions about Gambling Questionnaire and examined its capacity to prospectively predict severity of gambling. Findings supported a two factor solution consisting of positive and negative metacognitions about gambling. Internal consistency, predictive and divergent validity were acceptable. All the factors of the Metacognitions about Gambling Questionnaire correlated positively with gambling severity. Regression analyses showed that negative metacognitions about gambling were significantly associated to gambling severity over and above negative affect and gambling-specific cognitive distortions. Finally only gambling severity and negative metacognitions about gambling were significant prospective predictors of gambling severity as measured three months later. The Metacognitions about Gambling Questionnaire was shown to possess good psychometric properties, as well as predictive and divergent validity within the populations that were tested.

BACKGROUND: Anger and depressive ruminations have recently received empirical attention as processes related to borderline personality disorder (BPD). The Emotional Cascade Model (Selby, Anestis, & Joiner, 2008) suggests that negative affect (such as anger and sadness) may trigger rumination, which in turn may increase the duration and extent of negative affect, leading to dysregulated behaviours aimed at reducing such intense and unpleasant emotions. AIM: The aim of this study is to explore the relationships between emotional dysregulation, anger and depressive ruminations, and their role in predicting dysregulated behaviours (such as aggression and self-harm) in a clinical sample of patients with BPD. METHODS: Ninety-one patients with a diagnosis of BPD were recruited from three outpatient community mental health centres and asked to complete a comprehensive assessment for personality disorder symptoms, emotion dysregulation, anger and depressive ruminations, aggression, and self-harm. RESULTS: Anger and depressive ruminations were found to be significantly associated to, respectively, self-harm and aggression, beyond the variance accounted by emotional dysregulation. CONCLUSIONS: Rumination may act as a mediator between emotional dysregulation and dysregulated behaviours in BPD. Future research should examine whether clinical techniques aimed at reducing rumination may be helpful in reducing dysregulated behaviours in patients with BPD. "This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article: Martino, F., Caselli, G., Di Tommaso, J., Sassaroli, S., Spada, M.M ., Valenti, B., Berardi, D., Sasdelli, A and Menchetti, M (2017) Anger and depressive ruminations as predictors of dysregulated behaviours in borderline personality disorder. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy., which has been published in final form at 10.1002/cpp.2152 . This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving."

BACKGROUND:\ud procrastination refers to the delay or postponement of task or decision-making initiation or completion and is often conceptualised as a failure of self-regulation. Recent research has suggested that metacognitions play a role in procrastination and that unintentional procrastination (UP), as opposed to intentional procrastination (IP), may be the most problematic form of this behaviour. We aimed to test a metacognitive model of procrastination that was grounded in the Self-Regulatory Executive Function model.\ud \ud METHODS:\ud a convenience sample of 400 participants were recruited and completed (at least partially) a battery of online questionnaires that measured IP and UP, metacognitions about procrastination, depression, and Cognitive Attentional Syndrome (CAS) configurations. Initially, we tested series of hypotheses to establish the relationships between the experimental variables and to test whether CAS configurations would independently predict UP when controlling for age, depression, IP, metacognitions about procrastination, and whether an individual reported that they had been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder.\ud \ud RESULTS:\ud CAS configurations, depression, and metacognitions independently predicted UP. Additionally, path analysis revealed that the study data was an excellent fit to the proposed metacognitive model of procrastination.\ud \ud LIMITATIONS:\ud the study is cross-sectional.\ud \ud CONCLUSIONS:\ud the metacognitive model of procrastination presented in this paper can be used to generate novel interventions to treat this problematic behaviour.

Both perceived stress and negative recurrent thinking (rumination and worry) have been associated with depressive symptoms. However, no research to date has investigated the association between perceived stress and negative recurrent thinking. In the present study we aimed to explore whether perceived stress and negative recurrent thinking are associated and whether negative recurrent thinking moderates the relationship between perceived stress and depressive symptoms. A convenience sample of 273 undergraduate students completed the Perceived Stress Scale, the Ruminative Responses Scale-10, the Penn State Worry Questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale 2 weeks prior to sitting mid-year examinations. Correlation analyses showed that perceived stress, rumination and worry were positively and significantly associated with depressive symptoms and that perceived stress was positively and significantly associated with rumination and worry. A moderation analysis confirmed that negative recurrent thinking moderated the relationship between perceived stress and depressive symptoms. The implications of these findings are discussed.

This study investigated the role of desire thinking in predicting problematic Internet use (PIU) independently of weekly Internet use, anxiety, depression, and craving for Internet use. A sample of 250 Internet users completed the following self-report instruments: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Internet Use Craving Scale, Desire Thinking Questionnaire, and Internet Addiction Test. The sample was then divided into two subgroups: problematic Internet users ( n = 90) and nonproblematic Internet users ( n = 140). Mann–Whitney U tests revealed that all variable scores were significantly higher for problematic Internet users than nonproblematic Internet users. A logistic regression analysis indicated that imaginal prefiguration was a predictor of classification as problematic Internet user over and above weekly Internet use, anxiety, depression, and craving for Internet use. A hierarchical regression analysis, on the combined sample, indicated that both verbal perseveration and imaginal prefiguration predicted PIU independently of weekly Internet use, anxiety, depression, and craving for Internet use. These results add to the argument that the construct of desire thinking is relevant in understanding of addictive behaviors including PIU.

Based on the model of approaches to studying and the control-process model of self-regulation of behavior, it was hypothesized that students’ strategic approaches to studying and positive affect in studying would be positively associated with academic performance, whereas students’ surface approach to studying and negative affect in studying would be negatively associated with academic performance. A sample of 406 undergraduate students completed the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and the Evaluation Anxiety Scale, and their end-of-semester and past semester academic performance were recorded. Regression analyses controlling for past semester performance and evaluation anxiety showed that positive affect predicted better examination grades, coursework grades and Grade Point Average, negative affect measured in the second half of a semester predicted worse examination grades and Grade Point Average, whereas approaches to studying did not predict performance. The implications of the findings are outlined.

Desire thinking is a voluntary cognitive process involving verbal and imaginal elaboration of a desired target. Recent research has revealed that desire thinking and craving are distinct constructs and that desire thinking may play a significant role in the escalation of craving. The goal of this study was to explore the effect of desire thinking induction on craving in a nonclinical sample. Forty-five volunteers with no current diagnosis of psychological disorders chose a desired activity and were randomly allocated to three thinking manipulation tasks: distraction, verbal reasoning, and desire thinking. Craving was measured before and after manipulation and during a 3-day period of abstinence from the desired activity. Findings showed that desire thinking had a significant effect on craving after manipulation. This effect appeared to be independent of baseline levels of craving and desire thinking as well as perceived stress changes during the manipulation. Both distraction and verbal reasoning inductions did not lead to a significant change in craving. Desire thinking impacts craving and is a risk factor for craving-related problems.

BACKGROUND: Self-criticism refers to a series of persistent and negative self-judgements, often involuntary, that an individual makes about themselves. Recent research has explored the possibility that self-criticism can lead to a more perseverative style of thinking called self-critical rumination. There is evidence that self-critical rumination may be a separate construct from other forms of rumination, such as depressive rumination and post-event processing. Research has indicated that metacognitions, beliefs that individuals have about their internal experiences and how to control them, may play a role in self-critical rumination. The aim of our work was to develop a measure to assess metacognitions related to self-critical rumination. METHOD: In Study 1, a community sample of 178 participants completed the newly developed Metacognitions about Self-Critical Rumination Questionnaire (MSCRQ) and results were subjected to a Principal Components Analysis. In Study 2, a community sample of 247 participants completed a battery of questionnaires including the MSCRQ. A Confirmatory Factors Analysis was performed on the MSCRQ and validity was ascertained by correlating with other measures. RESULTS: In Study 1, a 15-item two-factor structure was identified. A 10-item two-factor structure was confirmed in Study 2. Results also indicated that the MSCRQ has acceptable levels of reliability, and good concurrent and incremental validity. CONCLUSIONS: The MSCRQ appears to be a reliable and valid measure of metacognitions about self-critical rumination whilst the MCQ-30 is a better predictor of general emotional distress.

The present study explored the relationship between neuroticism, meta‐cognitive beliefs about worry, pain catastrophising, and pain behaviour.A non‐clinical convenience sample of 308 participants c...

Metacognitive therapy is designed to impact directly on cognitive monitoring and control processes such that individuals can develop alternative ways of experiencing and regulating thoughts. One technique used for this purpose is 'detached mindfulness' which promotes a decentred perspective to thoughts and decouples repetitive thinking and coping from their occurrence. This study set out to test the effects of detached mindfulness against a control condition, a brief exposure to alcohol-related thoughts. Eight patients diagnosed with alcohol use disorder in an abstinence regime were exposed to detached mindfulness versus brief exposure in a counterbalanced repeated-measures design. Results showed that detached mindfulness led to significantly greater decreases in meta-appraisal and metacognitive beliefs about alcohol-related thoughts compared to a brief exposure. Significantly greater decreases in distress and urge to use alcohol were also observed in detached mindfulness. The clinical implications are discussed.