Metacognitive Therapy for Dysfunctional Attitudes in Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Controlled Study

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Dysfunctional Attitude Metacognitive Therapy

Authors

  • Maedeh Rezaei M.A., Department of Psychology, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran. , Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Ghodratollah Abbasi
    gh_abbasi@iausari.ac.ir
    Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran., Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Pezhman Hadinezhad Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Addiction Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran. , Iran, Islamic Republic of
Vol. 12 No. 1 (2025)
Quantitative Study(ies)
September 23, 2024
February 1, 2025

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Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of metacognitive therapy on dysfunctional attitude in patients with generalized anxiety disorder.

Methods and Materials: In a semi experimental study with a pre-test and post-test control group design, 32 patients with GAD from Zare Psychiatric Hospital, Sari, were randomly assigned to experimental (16) and control (16) groups. The experimental group received 8 weekly sessions of MCT. The GAD-7 scale and Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS-26) were used for assessment.

Findings: MCT significantly reduced dysfunctional attitudes in patients with GAD (p<0.05).

Conclusion: MCT effectively addresses dysfunctional attitudes in patients with generalized anxiety disorder, helping them develop a new relationship with their thoughts and gradually adjust maladaptive cognitive patterns.