title: Relationship of metacognition, absorption, and depersonalization in patients with auditory hallucinations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this work was to study the relationship of metacognition, absorption, and depersonalization in hallucinating patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A within-subjects correlational design was employed.
  
  
  METHODS
  We formed four groups from a clinical population (schizophrenic patients with hallucinations, schizophrenic patients with no hallucinations but with delusions, schizophrenic patients recovered from positive symptoms, and patients with a non-psychotic psychiatric disorder) and a non-clinical control group. All participants were given the Metacognitions Questionnaire (MCQ-30, Wells & Cartwright-Hatton, 2004), the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS, Tellegen & Atkinson, 1974) and the Cambridge Depersonalization Scale (CDS, Sierra & Berrios, 2000).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Schizophrenic subjects with hallucinations scored significantly higher on the depersonalization scale than any other group, and significantly higher on the absorption scale than any group except for the clinical patient controls. Schizophrenic patients with hallucinations also had significantly more dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs than subjects with no psychiatric pathology. It was further found that the metacognition variable correlated positively with the absorption and depersonalization variables, and that these variables in turn correlated positively with each other. Finally, it should be stressed that the variables that best predict hallucination severity are depersonalization and the MCQ-30 subscale `Need to control thoughts'.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We discuss the role of metacognitive and dissociative variables in understanding hallucinations and suggest some approaches to their treatment.
authors.affiliation: Virgen del Rocío University Hospital Mental Health Rehabilitation Unit, Seville, Spain. sperona@us.es
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perona-Garcelán
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: García-Montes
authors.forename: María J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ductor-Recuerda
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vallina-Fernández
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cuevas-Yust
authors.forename: Marino
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pérez-Álvarez
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salas-Azcona
authors.forename: María T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Gómez-Gómez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D003861:Depersonalization / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult