The relationship between looming cognitive style and worry, anxiety and depressive symptoms among university students: An investigation of the mediating roles of beliefs about worry and negative problem orientation

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the mediator effects of several metacognitive processes in the relationship between Looming Cognitive Style, which was asserted as a cognitive vulnerability factor specific to anxiety disorders, and worry, anxiety, depressive symptoms level. These metacognitive processes are; positive beliefs about worry which emphasizes usefulness of worry, negative beliefs about worry which points to uncontrollability and dangerousness of worry and negative problem orientation which is defined as an individual's tendency to be pessimistic about problems and his/her problem solving ability. Sample of this study was consisted of 18-30 years old 422 university students who were reached via convenience sampling. Data was collected by using Demographic Information Form, Looming Maladaptive Style QuestionnaireRevised, Social Problem Solving Inventory-Revised, Metacognitions Questionnaire-30, Trait Anxiety Inventory, Penn State Worry Questionnaire and Trait Depression Inventory. IBM SPSS 24 programme was used for statistical analysis of the data and Parallel Multiple Mediator Analysis was conducted for mediating effects. Results showed the significant mediating role of negative beliefs about worry and negative problem orientation in the relationship between Looming Cognitive Style and worry, anxiety, depressive symptoms. Beside this, there was no mediating role of positive beliefs about worry in these relationships. Results are discussed in the frame of related literature. Keywords Looming Cognitive Style, Beliefs About Worry, Negative Problem Orientation, Worry, Anxiety, Depressive Symptoms