Cognitive Errors in Greek Adolescents: The Linkages Between Negative Cognitive Errors and Anxious and Depressive Symptoms

The present cross-sectional study investigated the relationships between negative cognitive errors and self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression in a community sample of Greek adolescents, aged 12 to 18 years (N = 883). The Children's Negative Cognitive Error Questionnaire (CNCEQ) was used to measure four types of cognitive errors and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Trait subscale (STAIT), and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) were used to assess anxious and depressive symptoms. Results indicated that, as expected, cognitive errors were significantly associated with greater levels of symptoms of anxiety and depression. Of the four types of cognitive errors measured, only over generalization was independently related to anxiety (and none was independently related to depression). Finally, results indicated that even though younger adolescents exhibited more cognitive distortions than older adolescents, they reported less anxious and depressive symptoms, indicating that cognitive errors during early adolescence may reflect normal developmental trends.