title: Unhelpful metacognitive beliefs in early psychosis are associated with affective symptoms and childhood social adjustment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies have shown that individuals with schizophrenia exhibit higher levels of unhelpful metacognitive beliefs than healthy controls, but no studies have explored metacognitive beliefs in early psychosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We examined i) differences in levels of unhelpful metacognitive beliefs between psychosis spectrum disorders, and healthy controls, and ii) to what extent demographic and clinical characteristics predicted levels of metacognitive beliefs in the early treated phases of psychotic disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were included within two years of first treatment for a psychotic disorder (N=92). They were assessed on premorbid adjustment, psychotic symptoms, anxiety/depression, and self-reported metacognitive beliefs (MCQ-30). Ninety-seven controls also completed MCQ-30. Predictors of metacognitive beliefs were explored with multiple linear regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients scored significantly higher than controls on all metacognitive subscales except positive beliefs about worry. The regression model explained 14-38% of the variance on each metacognitive subscale. Current affective symptoms explained a significant amount of variance on all subscales, except positive beliefs about worry. Childhood (premorbid) social adjustment predicted a significant amount of the variance on all subscales, except cognitive confidence. Duration of untreated psychosis contributed significantly to more unhelpful beliefs about cognitive confidence. Negative symptoms predicted lower scores on cognitive self-consciousness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Affective symptoms and childhood social adjustment could be important predictors of unhelpful metacognitive beliefs in the early treated phases of psychosis, indicating potential psychopathological relationships that warrant further investigation for clinical relevance.
authors.affiliation: NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0424, Oslo, Norway; Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, 0424, Oslo, Norway; Department for Specialised Inpatient Treatment, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Akershus University Hospital, 1478 Lørenskog, Norway. Electronic address: tiril.ostefjells@medisin.uio.no.
authors.forename: Tiril
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Østefjells
authors.affiliation: NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0424, Oslo, Norway; Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, 0424, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: ingrid.melle@medisin.uio.no.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Melle
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway. Electronic address: roger.hagen@svt.ntnu.no.
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hagen
authors.affiliation: Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, 0424, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: k.l.romm@medisin.uio.no.
authors.forename: Kristin L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Romm
authors.affiliation: Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, 0424, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: nasrettin.sonmez@diakonsyk.no.
authors.forename: Nasrettin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sönmez
authors.affiliation: NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0424, Oslo, Norway; Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, 0424, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: o.a.andreassen@medisin.uio.no.
authors.forename: Ole A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Andreassen
authors.affiliation: NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0424, Oslo, Norway; Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, 0424, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: j.i.rossberg@medisin.uio.no.
authors.forename: Jan Ivar
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Røssberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D057566:Self Report; D012917:Social Adjustment; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Early psychosis; Metacognition; Metacognitive beliefs; Schizophrenia