Introduction: Meta-cognitive is a multidimensional concept. The concept includes knowledge, processes, and strategies which monitor, evaluate and control the cognition. The current study has been done to investigate the relationship between metacognitive beliefs and anxiety and OCD symptoms in nonclinical population.
Method: 327 students (182 female students and 145 male students) of Lorestan School of Medicine were selected by multistage cluster random sampling. They were asked to reply the demographic information and also complete the Wells and Cartwright Metacognitive Questionnaire, Beck Anxiety and Maudsely OCD Symptoms Questionnaire. Data were analyzed by Pearson Correlation Coefficients and Multivariate Regression Analysis.
Results: There was a significant positive correlation between metacognitive beliefs scores and anxiety and OCD symptoms. In other words, as the metacognitive scale score of the individual increases, OCD and anxiety symptoms will increase, too. There was also a significant relationship between total scores of both scales and scores on uncontrollability and risk, positive beliefs about anxiety, cognitive confidence and need to thought control and self-consciousness (p< 0.001). Moreover, there was no significant difference among male and female students in regard with metacognitive beliefs.
Discussion and conclusion: Dialectical behavior therapy could help the patients with OCD, by training emotional regulation strategies, tolerance and acceptance of negative emotion, to learn how to work effectively on the obsession. Metacognitive beliefs are effective factors in mental health. It is possible to improve students' mental health by changing metacognitive beliefs which enhance maladaptive and negative thinking styles or general negative beliefs.