Metacognitive Therapy for Dysfunctional Attitudes in Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Controlled Study

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of metacognitive therapy on dysfunctional attitude in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. Methods and Materials: In a semi experimental study with a pre-test and post-test control group design, 32 patients with GAD from Zare Psychiatric Hospital, Sari, were randomly assigned to experimental (16) and control (16) groups. The experimental group received 8 weekly sessions of MCT. The GAD-7 scale and Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS-26) were used for assessment. Findings: MCT significantly reduced dysfunctional attitudes in patients with GAD (p<0.05). Conclusion: MCT effectively addresses dysfunctional attitudes in patients with generalized anxiety disorder, helping them develop a new relationship with their thoughts and gradually adjust maladaptive cognitive patterns.