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

Background: 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. Objectives: 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. Methods: 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. Conclusions: 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.