Validation of the Shortened Version of the Metacognition Questionnaire for Insomnia-6 (MCQI-6) Among Clinical Sample of Insomnia

This study aims to assess validity and reliability of the Metacognition Questionnaire for Insomnia-6 (MCQI-6) in patients presenting with insomnia. Insomnia patients’ clinical characteristics and responses to rating scales were collected, including responses to the MCQI-6, Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep-16 items (DBAS-16), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items (PHQ-9). The MCQI-6 demonstrated good internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.87. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good model fit with a CFI of 0.941, a TLI of 0.901, an SRMR of 0.0427, and an RMSEA of 0.135. Factor loadings ranging from 0.615 to 0.833 also supported the single structure of the scale. Additionally, the total MCQI-6 score was positively correlated with DBAS-16 (r=0.53, p<0.01), ISI (r=0.59, p<0.01), and PHQ-9 (r=0.54, p<0.01) scores, suggesting sufficient convergent validity. The MCQI-6 was proved to be a useful and valid measure in real clinical settings. Moreover, its correlation with dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes endorses the contribution of metacognition to primary insomnia.