Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK.
Cogn Neuropsychiatry. 2022 Nov;27(6):393-410. doi: 10.1080/13546805.2022.2108388. Epub 2022 Aug 17.
Depression and anxiety symptoms are highly prevalent in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and are commonly associated with schizotypy in non-clinical samples. However, it remains unclear what factors could be contributing to the relationships between schizotypy and anxiety and depression symptoms. Using path analysis, we explored the complex interplay between schizotypy, metacognitive beliefs, cognitive insight, and symptoms of emotional distress. Self-report data of schizotypy, metacognitive beliefs, cognitive insight, depression, and anxiety symptoms were collected from 344 participants from a predominantly student sample. Path analysis confirmed unique associations between schizotypy dimensions, metacognitive beliefs, and cognitive insight. Furthermore, negative beliefs about worry mediated the link between the schizotypy dimensions, unusual experiences, cognitive disorganisation, and introvertive anhedonia and both depression and anxiety symptoms. Lack of cognitive confidence also mediated the relationship between cognitive disorganisation and depression symptoms. Finally, the cognitive insight subcomponent self-reflectiveness mediated the relationship between unusual experiences and cognitive disorganisation and anxiety. This study significantly furthers our understanding of the complex relationship between schizotypy, metacognitive processes, and emotional distress. Our findings also provide support for interventions which modify metacognitive beliefs and self-reflectiveness, which may prove beneficial for treatment in clinical settings.
抑郁和焦虑症状在精神分裂症谱系障碍中非常普遍，并且在非临床样本中通常与精神分裂症特质相关。然而，目前尚不清楚哪些因素可能导致精神分裂症特质与焦虑和抑郁症状之间的关系。本研究采用路径分析，探讨了精神分裂症特质、元认知信念、认知洞察力和情绪困扰症状之间的复杂相互作用。我们从一个以学生为主的样本中收集了 344 名参与者的精神分裂症特质、元认知信念、认知洞察力、抑郁和焦虑症状的自我报告数据。路径分析证实了精神分裂症特质维度、元认知信念和认知洞察力之间存在独特的关联。此外，对担忧的消极信念中介了精神分裂症特质维度、异常体验、认知失调和内向性快感缺失与抑郁和焦虑症状之间的联系。认知自信的缺乏也中介了认知失调与抑郁症状之间的关系。最后，认知洞察子成分自我反思性中介了异常体验和认知失调与焦虑之间的关系。这项研究极大地增进了我们对精神分裂症特质、元认知过程和情绪困扰之间复杂关系的理解。我们的研究结果还为干预措施提供了支持，这些干预措施可以改变元认知信念和自我反思性，这可能对临床治疗有益。
