Abstract
Background. The purpose of this study was to compare the meta-diagnostic constructs of emotion regulation, negative repetitive thoughts, cognitive flexibility, and social adjustment in two groups of adolescents with and without preclinical symptoms of emotional disorders.
Methods. The samples of this cross-sectional and comparative research includes included 140 teenagers who were divided into two groups. Adolescents were divided into two groups based on the diagnostic interview and DASS-21 questionnaire. Statistical analysis of the data was done using the Mann-Whitney and Chi- 2 square tests.
Results. Cognitive flexibility and emotion regulation in the group of healthy adolescents was significantly higher than the group of adolescents with preclinical symptoms. However, the level of social adjustment was not significantly different between the two groups of adolescents with preclinical symptoms and healthy adolescents.
Conclusion. The significant difference between the two groups of teenagers in meta-diagnostic structures shows the importance of these factors in the process of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of emotional disorders and symptoms such as anxiety and depression.
Practical Implications. Considering the existence of significant differences in the two groups of adolescents in meta-diagnostic cognitive and emotional structures, effective measures can be taken in order toto prevent the complete clinical manifestation of emotional disorders; . As a result of these measures, he took an important step can be taken in to reducing reduce the financial, psychological, and social costs caused by these disorders