Metacognitive beliefs and negative emotions

The present study explored the relationships between metacognitive beliefs and negative emotions in university students. Three hundred students (174 males, 126 females) were selected from universities in the city of Tehran through multistage cluster-random sampling. All participants were asked to complete the following questionnaires: Metacognitions Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30; Wells & Cartwright-Hatton, 2004) and Hospital Anxiety And Depression Scale (HADS; Zigmond & Snaith, 1983). Four dimensions and total scores of metacognition (positive beliefs about worry, negative beliefs about worry concerning uncontrollability and danger, cognitive confidence and need to control thought) were found to be positively and significantly correlated with negative emotions (anxiety and depression). In other words, individuals with higher scores in metacognition scale revealed more negative emotions in comparison with individuals with lower scores. The findings provide preliminary support for the role of metacognitions beliefs in the maintenance of negative emotions.