Volume 25, Issue 2
Metacognitive Therapy. The cognitive attentional syndrome and the cognitive processes
Abstract
The paper explores the main tenets of the metacognitive model of mental disorders. The role of automatic thoughts in emotional disorders is analyzed. The main cognitive processes that are the core of the metacognitive model –rumination, worry and selective attention to threat- are described. Metacognitive knowledge and experiences are defined. The cognitive attentional syndrome and its components are described. Detached mindfulness is characterized and differentiated from other forms and uses of mindfulness. The differences and similarities between the metacognitive model and the standard cognitive model are discussed. The published results studies are presented. The relevance of the metacognitive model in the current clinical context is discussed.
Keywords
Metacognitive therapy, cognitive therapy, metacognition, mental disorders