Psychometric properties of the metacognitions questionnaire-30 in Turkish outpatient adolescents
BMC Psychology, cilt.14, sa.1, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 14 Sayı: 1
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1186/s40359-026-04444-2
- Dergi Adı: BMC Psychology
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Psycinfo, Directory of Open Access Journals, Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Adolescents, Metacognitions, MCQ-30, Reliability, Validity
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Background: The Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30) is widely used to assess dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs in both clinical and non-clinical adolescent populations. As no adolescent-specific validation has been conducted in Turkey, this study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the MCQ-30 in Turkish adolescents. Method: The sample included 338 adolescents aged 11–18 years who had applied to child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinics. Participants completed a sociodemographic and clinical data form, the MCQ-30, the Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale–Child Version (RCADS-CV), and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) on an online platform. Results: The mean age of the participants was 15.3 years (SD = 1.9). Among them, 111 (32.8%) were male and 227 (67.2%) were female. The Turkish MCQ-30 showed good to excellent internal consistency and a well-fitting five-factor structure, including positive beliefs (α = 0.820), negative beliefs about uncontrollability and danger (α = 0.885), cognitive confidence (α = 0.860), need to control thoughts (α = 0.947), and cognitive self-consciousness (α = 0.866). Internal consistency for the total score was excellent (α = 0.918), and test–retest analyses further supported the reliability of the scale. The MCQ-30 showed moderate-to-large positive correlations with measures of anxiety and depression, supporting its convergent validity. Additionally, the lack of a significant association with the SDQ prosocial behavior subscale provides evidence for its discriminant validity. Conclusion: These findings confirm the Turkish MCQ-30 as a reliable and valid measure of metacognitive beliefs in adolescents, supporting its use in clinical practice and research.