Metabeliefs about worry, cognitive fusion, and acceptance: associations and mediations analysis
BackgroundAlthough metacognitive therapy (MCT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) are grounded in different theoretical frameworks, both target repetitive negative thinking (RNT) processes, such as worry and rumination, and share a focus on fostering psychological flexibility and reducing e...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-08-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1639105/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849233485295779840 |
|---|---|
| author | Francisco Sanchez-Escamilla Francisco Sanchez-Escamilla Marta Redondo-Delgado Marta Redondo-Delgado Antonia María Jímenez-Ros Antonia María Jímenez-Ros Miguel Ángel Pérez-Nieto Miguel Ángel Pérez-Nieto |
| author_facet | Francisco Sanchez-Escamilla Francisco Sanchez-Escamilla Marta Redondo-Delgado Marta Redondo-Delgado Antonia María Jímenez-Ros Antonia María Jímenez-Ros Miguel Ángel Pérez-Nieto Miguel Ángel Pérez-Nieto |
| author_sort | Francisco Sanchez-Escamilla |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundAlthough metacognitive therapy (MCT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) are grounded in different theoretical frameworks, both target repetitive negative thinking (RNT) processes, such as worry and rumination, and share a focus on fostering psychological flexibility and reducing experiential avoidance. However, no integrated theoretical model currently exists to combine their potential strengths. Recent research highlights the importance of metacognitive beliefs and acceptance-related processes in maintaining maladaptive RNT.ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore metacognitive and acceptance-based variables in relation to RNT.MethodsThe sample consisted of 149 people (116 females), aged between 18 and 71 (M = 34.7; SD = 14.9) who answered the following questionnaires: PSWQ, The AAQ-II, The CFQ, The VQ, MCQ-30 and TCQ.ResultsThe mediation analysis reveals that cognitive fusion significantly mediated the relationship between metacognitive beliefs and worry, whereas acceptance had a weaker mediating effect.ConclusionBeliefs about the uncontrollability of worry appear to play a pivotal role in sustaining worry, primarily through their influence on cognitive fusion. These findings provide preliminary support for conceptual overlaps between MCT and ACT in addressing RNT. However, as this is an exploratory and cross-sectional study, conclusions about treatment mechanisms should be drawn cautiously, and future longitudinal and experimental studies are needed to strengthen these insights. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-85df680cd9e446978a4ef8b6a9e8f493 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-85df680cd9e446978a4ef8b6a9e8f4932025-08-20T05:32:39ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-08-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.16391051639105Metabeliefs about worry, cognitive fusion, and acceptance: associations and mediations analysisFrancisco Sanchez-Escamilla0Francisco Sanchez-Escamilla1Marta Redondo-Delgado2Marta Redondo-Delgado3Antonia María Jímenez-Ros4Antonia María Jímenez-Ros5Miguel Ángel Pérez-Nieto6Miguel Ángel Pérez-Nieto7HM Faculty of Health Sciences, Camilo José Cela University, Madrid, SpainHM Hospitals Health Research Institute, Madrid, SpainHM Faculty of Health Sciences, Camilo José Cela University, Madrid, SpainHM Hospitals Health Research Institute, Madrid, SpainUniversity Center of Research in Psychology (CUIP), Faro, PortugalUniversidade do Algarve, Faro, PortugalHM Faculty of Health Sciences, Camilo José Cela University, Madrid, SpainHM Hospitals Health Research Institute, Madrid, SpainBackgroundAlthough metacognitive therapy (MCT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) are grounded in different theoretical frameworks, both target repetitive negative thinking (RNT) processes, such as worry and rumination, and share a focus on fostering psychological flexibility and reducing experiential avoidance. However, no integrated theoretical model currently exists to combine their potential strengths. Recent research highlights the importance of metacognitive beliefs and acceptance-related processes in maintaining maladaptive RNT.ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore metacognitive and acceptance-based variables in relation to RNT.MethodsThe sample consisted of 149 people (116 females), aged between 18 and 71 (M = 34.7; SD = 14.9) who answered the following questionnaires: PSWQ, The AAQ-II, The CFQ, The VQ, MCQ-30 and TCQ.ResultsThe mediation analysis reveals that cognitive fusion significantly mediated the relationship between metacognitive beliefs and worry, whereas acceptance had a weaker mediating effect.ConclusionBeliefs about the uncontrollability of worry appear to play a pivotal role in sustaining worry, primarily through their influence on cognitive fusion. These findings provide preliminary support for conceptual overlaps between MCT and ACT in addressing RNT. However, as this is an exploratory and cross-sectional study, conclusions about treatment mechanisms should be drawn cautiously, and future longitudinal and experimental studies are needed to strengthen these insights.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1639105/fullanxietymetacognitionacceptanceworrymediation |
| spellingShingle | Francisco Sanchez-Escamilla Francisco Sanchez-Escamilla Marta Redondo-Delgado Marta Redondo-Delgado Antonia María Jímenez-Ros Antonia María Jímenez-Ros Miguel Ángel Pérez-Nieto Miguel Ángel Pérez-Nieto Metabeliefs about worry, cognitive fusion, and acceptance: associations and mediations analysis Frontiers in Psychology anxiety metacognition acceptance worry mediation |
| title | Metabeliefs about worry, cognitive fusion, and acceptance: associations and mediations analysis |
| title_full | Metabeliefs about worry, cognitive fusion, and acceptance: associations and mediations analysis |
| title_fullStr | Metabeliefs about worry, cognitive fusion, and acceptance: associations and mediations analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Metabeliefs about worry, cognitive fusion, and acceptance: associations and mediations analysis |
| title_short | Metabeliefs about worry, cognitive fusion, and acceptance: associations and mediations analysis |
| title_sort | metabeliefs about worry cognitive fusion and acceptance associations and mediations analysis |
| topic | anxiety metacognition acceptance worry mediation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1639105/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT franciscosanchezescamilla metabeliefsaboutworrycognitivefusionandacceptanceassociationsandmediationsanalysis AT franciscosanchezescamilla metabeliefsaboutworrycognitivefusionandacceptanceassociationsandmediationsanalysis AT martaredondodelgado metabeliefsaboutworrycognitivefusionandacceptanceassociationsandmediationsanalysis AT martaredondodelgado metabeliefsaboutworrycognitivefusionandacceptanceassociationsandmediationsanalysis AT antoniamariajimenezros metabeliefsaboutworrycognitivefusionandacceptanceassociationsandmediationsanalysis AT antoniamariajimenezros metabeliefsaboutworrycognitivefusionandacceptanceassociationsandmediationsanalysis AT miguelangelpereznieto metabeliefsaboutworrycognitivefusionandacceptanceassociationsandmediationsanalysis AT miguelangelpereznieto metabeliefsaboutworrycognitivefusionandacceptanceassociationsandmediationsanalysis |