The Effects of Meta-Cognitive and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies on Anxious Thoughts and Meta-Cognitive Beliefs of Students with Generalized Anxiety Disorder

The aim of the present research was to determine the effects of meta-cognitive and cognitive-behavior therapies on anxious thoughts and meta-cognitive beliefs of the students with generalized anxiety disorder. The sample consisted of 60 participants randomly selected from the high school male students with generalized anxiety disorder in Massal city, and were assigned randomly to two experimental and one control groups. To collect data the Meta-cognition Questionnaire and the Anxious Thoughts Inventory were used. Data were analyzed using covariance analysis. The results showed that significant differences exist between the experimental groups and the control group in the variables of meta-cognitive beliefs and anxious thoughts. Multi-comparison tests revealed that meta-cognitive therapy was more effective in modifying the dysfunctional meta-cognitive beliefs and decreasing the anxious thoughts than the cognitive-behavior therapy. Results provided support for the more effective role of meta-cognitive therapy in decreasing anxiety and modifying the dysfunctional meta-cognitive beliefs.