Rethinking the mechanisms in child anxiety and depression: A metacognitive perspective

Name of applicant

Anne Thingbak

Title

PhD

Institution

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Amount

DKK 2,648,221

Year

2025

Type of grant

Internationalisation Fellowships

What?

This project aims to investigate potential mechanisms underlying anxiety and depression in children. Specifically, it evaluates central predictions of the metacognitive theory (MCT), namely that (1) repetitive and inflexible thinking patterns (such as worry and rumination) and (2) beliefs about thinking (example: "I cannot stop worrying") are core drivers of psychological distress.

Why?

Many children and adolescents suffer from anxiety and depression. Yet, only about 50% benefit from current gold-standard treatments and the mechanisms underlying anxiety and depressive disorders in young people remain unclear. Needless to say, there is an urgent need to identify these mechanisms in order to better understand, prevent, and treat mental health problems in children.

How?

The aim is to investigate the relationships between unhelpful thinking patterns, beliefs about thinking, and psychological distress in children and adolescents over time. This data will enable several studies evaluating the metacognitive theory in young people, including analyses of how such mental processes contribute to anxiety and depression over time.

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