Examining posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms within the framework of metacognitive model and emotion regulation strategies

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating roles of emotion regulation strategies, namely rumination, thought suppression, cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression, in the relationship between metacognitive factors and PTSD symptomatology. In line with this aim, Sociodemographic Information Form, Life Events Checklist-5 (LEC-5), PTSD checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), the short version of Ruminative Response Scale (RRS), White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI), and Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) were respectively administered to 538 community sample participants comprising 336 females and 202 males who have experienced at least one traumatic event. Correlation analyses demonstrated that there were significant and positive correlations among metacognitive factors, emotion regulation strategies, and PTSD symptomatology. A series of multiple mediation analyses with bootstrapping showed that rumination and thought suppression strategies had a significant mediator role in the relationship between each of the metacognitive factors (positive beliefs, negative beliefs, cognitive insecurity, need for control of thinking, cognitive awareness) and PTSD symptomatology. However, reappraisal and expressive suppression did not have a mediator role in the relationship between any of the metacognitive factors and PTSD symptoms. In sum, dysfunctional metacognitive factors of individuals who has at least one traumatic experience were predictive of greater levels of PTSD symptomatology through rumination and thought suppression strategies. The findings of the study were discussed in the light of relevant literature. Keywords: metacognition, emotion regulation strategies, rumination, suppression, reappraisal, expressive suppression, PTSD symptomatology.