Anxiety and depression are prevalent and comorbid, and transdiagnostic models highlight emotional schemas and metacognitive beliefs as relevant to emotional distress. However, little is known about their interplay within a network or whether centrality differs by symptom severity. Treatment-seeking adults ( N = 1459; Mage = 34.98; 62% female) completed the LESS-II, MCQ-30, BDI, and BAI. Networks were estimated using Gaussian graphical models with EBICglasso regularization. Centrality indices were examined, and networks were compared between participants with clinically significant symptom levels ( n = 797) and those without ( n = 662). Loss of Control, Negative Metacognitive Beliefs about Uncontrollability and Danger, Non-Acceptance of Feelings, and Low Expression showed the highest centrality. The strongest edges linked Loss of Control with Non-Acceptance of Feelings and Duration, and Negative Metacognitive Beliefs about Uncontrollability and Danger with Need for Control. Centrality differences indicated higher strength/expected influence for Anxiety and Low Consensus in the non-clinical group, and higher strength for Negative Metacognitive Beliefs about Uncontrollability and Danger in the same group. At the edge level, several differences emerged across groups, including a stronger Anxiety–Negative Metacognitive Beliefs about Uncontrollability and Danger association in the non-clinical group and stronger Loss of Control–Non-Acceptance of Feelings and Numbness-related links in the clinical group. Emotional schemas and metacognitive beliefs are closely connected within a network of emotional distress, although longitudinal research is needed to evaluate temporal dynamics. • Network analysis integrated emotional schemas, metacognitive beliefs, and symptom severity. • Loss of Control and Negative Metacognitive Beliefs about Uncontrollability and Danger were the most central nodes. • Strongest edges: Loss of Control – Non-Acceptance and Negative Metacognitive Beliefs about Uncontrollability and Danger - Need for Control. • Several node- and edge-level differences emerged across symptom-severity groups.
Predatu et al. (Wed,) studied this question.