Ruggiero, G. M, Bassanini, A., Benzi, M. C., Boccalari, F., Caletti, E., Caselli, G., Di Tucci, A., Fiore, F., Ibrahim, R., Marsero, S., Moioli, E., Ponzio, E., Sapuppo, W., Sarracino, D., Telesca, M., Zizak, S., & Sassaroli, S. (2017). Irrational and Metacognitive Beliefs Mediate the Relationship Between Content Beliefs and GAD Symptoms: A Study on a Normal Population. Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy, 35(3), 240-253.

Irrational And Metacognitive Beliefs As Mediators Between Dysfunctional Beliefs (Schemas) And Anxiety

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) and Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) conceptualize anxiety in different ways. CBT focuses on the content self-beliefs, MCT on regulatory metacognitive beliefs, while REBT is partially regulatory and content related. The study aimed to test a model in which MCT and REBT concepts played a mediating role while CBT-related self-beliefs had the place of the independent variable. The model, if confirmed, approximates the different psychopathological factors in the CBT, REBT and MCT models. 149 non clinical subjects completed 4 self-report questionnaires: GAD-Q-IV for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD); negative orientation to the problems questionnaire (NPOQ) for CBT, the Attitudes and Beliefs Scale (ABS) for REBT and the MCQ-30 for MCT. A moderation model was tested using regression analyses. Regression analyses confirmed the mediating role of ABS and MCQ in the relation between NPOQ and GAD (B = .23; CI = .007 to .33). The relationship between belief (schema content) and GAD symptoms appears to be statistically dependent on (mediated by) metacognitions and self-regulation.