The Relationship Between Metacognition, Meta-worry, Rumination, and Cognitive-Attentional Syndrome in Iranian Combat Veterans with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) metacognitive model is considered a model with good power. There are not enough data that this model is appropriate to combat veterans with chronic PTSD.

This study aimed to investigate the association between metacognition components, including metacognitive beliefs and attitudes, meta-worry, rumination, and cognitive-attentional syndrome (CAS), in Iranian combat veterans with PTSD.

The population of this study included all combat veterans referred to the rehabilitating center of Sari, Mazandaran province in 2016. After a clinical interview by a clinical psychologist, the veterans were divided into three groups (PTSD, non-PTSD, and non-traumatized). These three groups matched in age, gender, and socio-economic status. Exclusion criteria for three groups were as follows: Those who had a significant psychiatric disorder that has been active during the research plan. Moreover, data gathering instrument used in the current research was Metacognition Questionnaire [including Metacognitive Questionnaire (MCQ), Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS), Cognitive-Attentional Syndrome Scale (CAS-1), Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and Meta-worry Questionnaire (MWQ)]. One-way variance analysis was used to compare groups in terms of metacognition, meta-worry, rumination, and CAS.

Consistent with the metacognitive model of PTSD, metacognition components, ruminative responses, cognitive-attentional syndrome, and meta-worry have significant differences with non-PTSD and non-traumatized. It appears that meta-cognitive components are more disruptive in PTSD patients than other control groups. This finding could be integrated into the metacognition theory.