The Relationship Between Mental Health, Metacognition, and Emotion Regulation in Older People

Objectives: It is unclear if using emotion regulation strategies can help manage the effects of anxiety and depression on metacognitive strategies in older people. This study aimed to verify the effect of emotion regulation in the interaction between mental disorders and metacognition.

Methods: A mediation analysis was performed to assess the role of emotion regulation in the interaction between mental disorders and metacognition in older people.

Results: Without mediator control, higher scores indicating mental disorder are associated with reduced metacognition scores. When mediators are added to the model, the mediation effect was significant. An indirect effect of anxiety and depression on metacognition was mediated by cognitive reappraisal to a greater extent than emotional suppression.

Conclusions: Cognitive reappraisal reduced the impact of anxiety and depression on metacognition in older adults.

Clinical Implications: Including cognitive reappraisal techniques in anxiety and depression intervention plans can be beneficial for improving older people's metacognition functioning.