The mediating roles of emotion dysregulation and metacognition in the relationship between terrorism and community violence related risk appraisals and psychological symptomatology

The purpose of the present study was to examine the mediating roles of emotion dysregulation and metacognition in the relationship between terrorism and community violence related risk appraisals and psychological symptomatology. Brief Symptom Inventory, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-Brief Form, Terror Risk Perception Questionnaire and Metacognition Questionnaire were used to collect data from university students (between 18-23 years old) who have been living in Ankara at least 3 years. The results of multiple mediation models indicated that risk appraisals towards terrorist attacks and community violence incidents may lead to difficulties in emotion regulation and to use of unhelpful metacognitive functions that may also lead to disrupting psychological functioning in the youth population. The findings of the present study have clinical and psychosocial implications. In clinical implications, cognitive and emotional skills of youth would be supported by working on emotion regulation and metacognitive functions. In psychosocial implications, youths' the sense of control and safety would be improved by community-based interventions and policies.