Modeling Posttraumatic Growth Based on Intelligence Beliefs and Cognitive Biases: The Mediating Role of Mentalization in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis
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Objective: The present study aimed to model posttraumatic growth (PTG) based on intelligence beliefs and cognitive biases, with mentalization serving as a mediating mechanism in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Methods: This descriptive correlational study using path analysis was conducted in 2025. The statistical population consisted of MS patients residing in Tehran, from whom 274 participants were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI; 1996), Implicit Theories of Intelligence Scale (2006), Cognitive Bias Questionnaire (1997), and Mentalization Questionnaire (MZQ; 2017). Data analysis was performed using Pearson correlation coefficients, path analysis, and bootstrapping procedures in SPSS 27 and AMOS 24.
Findings: The results indicated that intelligence beliefs had a significant positive direct effect on mentalization (β = 0.34, p < .001) and PTG (β = 0.27, p < .001), whereas cognitive biases had significant negative direct effects on mentalization (β = −0.28, p < .001) and PTG (β = −0.22, p < .001). Furthermore, mentalization positively predicted PTG (β = 0.37, p < .001). Bootstrap results confirmed the mediating role of mentalization in the relationship between intelligence beliefs and PTG (β = 0.15, 95% CI [0.08, 0.23]) and between cognitive biases and PTG (β = −0.13, 95% CI [−0.21, −0.06]). The proposed model demonstrated a good fit to the data (CFI = 0.95, GFI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.056).
Conclusion: The findings suggest that patients with MS who hold incremental intelligence beliefs and exhibit lower levels of cognitive bias are more likely to experience posttraumatic growth, with mentalization acting as a key protective and explanatory mechanism. Therefore, clinical interventions aimed at fostering incremental intelligence beliefs, reducing maladaptive cognitive biases, and strengthening mentalization capacities may facilitate psychological adaptation and posttraumatic growth in individuals with multiple sclerosis.
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