The Meta-Cognitive Beliefs Questionnaire: development of a measure of obsessional beliefs.
A 67 item self-report questionnaire called the Meta-Cognitive Beliefs Questionnaire (MCBQ) was developed to assess endorsement of beliefs about the importance of control and negative consequences associated with unwanted, ego-dystonic intrusive thoughts, images and impulses. The MCBQ and a battery of questionnaires that assessed symptoms and cognitions of worry, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, and depression were administered to large samples of undergraduate students. Beliefs about control of intrusive thoughts and perceived negative consequences due to uncontrolled mental intrusions had a unique significant relationship with obsessions, and to a lesser extent, worry. These findings are consistent with current cognitive behavioral theories that suggest an important role for meta-cognitive beliefs in the pathogenesis of obsessions.
Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada E3B 6E4. clark@unb.ca
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D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D001290:Attitude; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009770:Obsessive Behavior / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D013850:Thinking