Transcultural, transdiagnostic, and concurrent validity of a revised Metacognitions about Symptoms Control Scale

Anxiety and depression add to the burden of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Fibromyalgia (FM), and Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). Metacognitions play a role in this distress. The Metacognitions about Symptoms Control Scale (MaSCS) measures metacognitive beliefs regarding symptoms but has weaknesses. The current study created a revised MaSCS (MaSCS-R) in English, German, and Arabic versions using CFS, FM, and T1DM samples, and examined the transcultural, transdiagnostic, and concurrent validity of metacognitions about symptom control. This study used data from a total of 563 participants clinically diagnosed with CFS (n = 124; English), FM (n = 348; German), or T1DM (n = 91; Lebanese). CFS and FM data had been used in earlier published studies but were subjected to new analyses. CFS data was used to create the English version of the MaSCS-R, and FM and T1DM data for German and Arabic versions. Metacognitions about worry, anxiety, depression, and symptom severity were measured. The three MaSCS-R versions, consisting of two factors (each with four items), had adequate psychometric properties, possessing configural and metric invariance. Metacognitive factors were associated with distress and symptom severity in all three samples. Metacognitions about symptom control have transcultural, transdiagnostic, and concurrent validity. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Fernie, B.A., Aoun, A., Kollman, J., Spada, M.M., and Nikčević, A.V. (2019). Transcultural, transdiagnostic, and concurrent validity of a revised Metacognitions about Symptoms Control Scale. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, which has been published in final form at 10.1002/cpp.2367 . This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions