The investigation of the relationships between metacognitions, meta-worry, cognitive attentional syndrome, anxiety, adverse childhood experiences and perfectionism

The present study aimed to investigate, for the first time, the relationship between metacognitions, meta-worry, cognitive attentional syndrome, anxiety, adverse childhood experiences and perfectionism. The sample consisted of 761 adults (76.9% female; M = 41.57 years, SD = 13.30) who were recruited by convenience sampling. To assess all the aforementioned variables a sociodemographic information form, Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (APS-R), The Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), Meta-Worry Questionnaire (MWQ), Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE), Cognitive Attentional Syndrome-1 Questionnaire (CAS-1) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) utilized as data collection tools. The mediating role of anxiety, metacognitions, cognitive attentional syndrome and meta-worry in the relationship of adverse childhood events on perfectionism statistically tested by structural equation modeling. The research findings illustrated significant correlational relationships between perfectionism and adverse childhood experiences, cognitive attentional syndrome, metacognitions, meta-worry, anxiety. According to the good-fitting model, metacognitions mediated the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and perfectionism; whereas meta-worry, anxiety and cognitive attentional syndrome did not play a significant mediating role as predicted (CMIN=117.11, df=53, CMIN/df=2.21, RMSEA=.08, GFI=.92, CFI=.95). Overall, the findings highlighted the impact of adverse childhood experiences on perfectionism through the role of metacognitions. The results which were consistent with the relevant literature of metacognitive therapy, suggestions for future research and limitations of the study were discussed thoroughly.