Metacognitions in Young and Middle-Aged Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Psychometric Study of the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed to conduct a psychometric validation of the Chinese version of the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30) and to explore the association between metacognitive factors and post-traumatic growth (PTG). Methods: 313 young and middle-aged patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were recruited between October 2023 and June 2024 from a tertiary hospital in Zhengzhou, China. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test established factor structures of the MCQ-30. The reliability tests, criterion-related validity analyses, and regression models were conducted. Results: CFA results supported the five-factor structure of the MCQ-30, with satisfactory model fit and good reliability. Criterion-related validity was also supported by significant positive correlations between the five factors and depression/anxiety symptoms. All five metacognition factors were also significantly correlated with PTG. Conclusion: The findings support the use of the Chinese version of the MCQ-30 as a potentially reliable and valid instrument for assessing metacognitive beliefs in young and middle-aged AMI patients. Given the sampling method and cross-sectional design, results should be interpreted cautiously. Further research with larger sample sizes, and longitudinal design is needed to validate the above results.