Repetitive negative thinking, metacognitive beliefs, and their interaction as possible predictors for problematic cannabis use

Clin Psychol Psychother. 2021 Aug 25. doi: 10.1002/cpp.2664. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe metacognitive formulation of addictive behaviors considers repetitive negative thinking (RNT) and metacognitive beliefs as two important processes involved in the development and maintenance of addictive behaviors. To date, very limited research has investigated the implication of these processes in problematic cannabis use. The present study was aimed at exploring the association between RNT, metacognitive beliefs, and cannabis use in a sample of 157 problematic cannabis users. Participants were administered measures of cannabis use severity, RNT, metacognitive beliefs, anxiety and depression. Multiple regression analysis showed that metacognitive beliefs (cognitive confidence, beliefs about the need to control thought, and cognitive self-consciousness) were independent predictors of problematic cannabis use and related problem severity when controlling for RNT and negative affect (anxiety and depression). Furthermore, RNT predicted problematic cannabis use severity only for users with low levels of negative beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger. These data suggest that metacognitive beliefs and RNT may be two relevant cognitive processes for understanding problematic cannabis use. More generally, it enables the consideration of cannabis use from the perspective of self-regulation theories, and more specifically cognitive regulation, thus offering several t...
Source: Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Source Type: research