The Relationships Between Metacognitive Beliefs, Executive Functioning, and Psychological Distress in Early Adolescence

Abstract

Background Increased endorsement of metacognitions and poorer executive functioning have been associated with increased adolescent psychological distress. However, it is unknown whether poorer executive functioning strengthens the metacognitions–psychological distress relationship. Methods This cross-sectional study investigated unique and interactive contributions of self-reported positive metacognitions (beliefs that repetitive thinking is beneficial), negative metacognitions (beliefs that repetitive thinking is uncontrollable) and an objective test of executive function on self-reported psychological distress in N = 85 Australian adolescents (49% female, 51% male) aged 12–14 years (M = 13.22, SD = 0.45). Results Results of the hierarchical regression revealed both positive and negative metacognitions significantly, positively, and strongly predicted psychological distress. Furthermore, poorer executive functioning significantly strengthened the negative metacognitions–psychological distress relationship. These findings indicate that adolescents who endorse beliefs that their repetitive thinking is uncontrollable, dangerous, or helpful are more likely to be psychologically distressed. Furthermore, findings indicate adolescents with poorer inhibition were particularly vulnerable to the impact of negative metacognitions (e.g., repetitive thinking is uncontrollable) on psychological distress. This vulnerability is likely because negative metacognitions are highly intrusive, rendering their activation difficult to ignore. Conclusions Overall, findings support the self-regulatory executive function model, indicating metacognitions and executive functioning influence adolescent psychological distress. These findings have practical implications for clinical interventions.