Cognitive processes associated with emotional disorders: implications for efficient psychological treatments

Background Emotional disorders (EDs) are the most prevalent worldwide. Despite psychotherapies are their treatment of choice, there are difficulties to apply them properly in mental health services. Since literature shows that cognitive processes are associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms, more information is needed in order to improve psychological treatments. Aims To determine the relation between cognitive factors with specific and non-specific ED symptoms in order to promote the development of accurate psychological treatments. Methods We analyzed the relation between rumination, worry, and metacognition with generalized anxiety, panic, and depression disorder symptoms from a clinical sample of 116 individuals through correlation and linear regression analyses. Results Although each specific disorder had a closer link with a particular cognitive process, all general ED symptoms were associated with the three cognitive factors studied. Conclusions For "pure" disorders, targeting a concrete cognitive process might be an optimal therapeutic option. However, due to the high comorbidity among EDs, we support the dissemination of the transdiagnostic treatment approach in which all cognitive factors are taken into account.