Metacognition as a Mediator for Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Following Childhood Stressful Life Events: An Examination of the Construct Validity of the Metacognitions Questionnaire-Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Abstract

Both cognitive and metacognitive theories implicate posttraumatic metacognition as an important factor in the maintenance of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) following stressful life events (SLEs). The Metacognitions Questionnaire-posttraumatic stress disorder (MCQ-PTSD; Wells, 2009) was previously developed to assess for metacognitions specific to SLEs and resulting PTSS. This study aimed to examine the construct validity of this measure in the context of childhood SLEs specifically. First, we confirmed the factor structure underlying the MCQ-PTSD in our sample. We then assessed whether the MCQ-PTSD would function as expected based on a theoretical model in which, controlling for posttraumatic cognitions, posttraumatic metacognitions were expected to mediate the relationship between childhood SLEs and PTSS. Using data from a racially diverse sample of undergraduate psychology students (N = 402; Age_mean = 19.38 ± 1.81) at a large Midwestern university, the two-factor structure of the MCQ-PTSD was confirmed. Among participants who endorsed clinically significant experience of childhood SLEs (n = 203; Age_mean = 19.49 ± 1.94), negative metacognitions mediated the relationships of emotional and sexual abuse with PTSS, when controlling for other posttraumatic cognitions. These relationships were not observed for positive metacognitions. These results are consistent with a metacognitive model for PTSD and suggest that the MCQ-PTSD may be a valid measure of posttraumatic metacognitions following childhood SLEs.

Keywords

Metacognition childhood trauma metacognitions questionnaire-posttraumatic stress disorder construct validity

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