METACOGNITION AND COGNITIVE EMOTIONAL REGULATION IN INDIVIDUALS WITH GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER AND MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER

Abstract

The aim of the study was to examine the difference of metacognition and Cognitive Emotional Regulation in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder and Major Depressive Disorder. It was hypothesized that there will be Difference in individuals with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder on the variable of metacognition, there will be difference in individuals with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder on the variable of Cognitive Emotional Regulation. It was also hypothesized that Metacognition will positively predict Cognitive Emotional Regulation in individuals with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder. The sample was consisted of 200 participants, 100 with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and 100 with Major Depressive Disorder. The study used a cross-sectional design and was quantitative. Purposive sampling strategy was used in data collection. The Metacognition Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30) (Wells& Cartwright-Hatton,2004) and Cognitive Emotional Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) by (Garnefski et al.,2001) were used as measures of the two constructs. The sample was consisted of 200 participants, 100 with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and 100 with Major Depressive Disorder. The data was analyzed using SPSS-25, applying Independent Sample T-tests and Simple Linear Regression. The results indicated that there were significant differences between the Generalized anxiety disorder and Major depressive disorder groups on metacognition, Major depressive disorder group scored higher (M=84.0300, SD=12.16590, P<.05) than Generalized anxiety disorder group (M=76.8500, SD=12.27494, P<.05). Further, there was no significant difference between the two groups (Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder) on Cognitive Emotional Regulation, except for two strategies: Rumination (M=11.62, SD=2.19), (M=12.33, SD=.326, P<.05) and Positive Refocusing (M=12.60, SD=2.55), (M=11.23, SD=3.26, P<.05). The results showed that people with Major Depressive Disorder scored higher on Rumination than people with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. However, people with Generalized Anxiety Disorder scored higher on Positive Refocusing. The results also revealed that metacognition significantly predicted seven out of nine subscales of cognitive emotional regulation (self-blame, catastrophizing, others blame, acceptance, positive refocusing, refocus on planning and putting into perspective) in both groups (Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder) with varying effect sizes(F= 19.061,df=98 , F=.415, df=98 , F=1.803,df= 98 , F=.003,df=98 , F= 4.74,df=98 , F=.373,df=98 , F=1.56,df= 98 ,P<.05).The study suggests that people with different mental disorders have different ways of thinking and coping with their emotions, and that these differences may have implications for their treatment and recovery.