"How do people experience metacognitive knowledge during periods of low mood? A qualitative study"

Whittle, Caed (2016) "How do people experience metacognitive knowledge during periods of low mood? A qualitative study". Manchester Metropolitan University. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Despite the rich literature concerning information-processing models of emotional distress, there is a shortage of evidence evaluating the applications of metacognitive strategies in its management. The aim of this research was to gain a richer understanding of the process by which individuals who experience recurrent low mood contextualise and make sense of the associated effects of mood on cognition, by exploring their experience of metacognition during depressive episodes. Other objectives of this research were to explore Wells and Matthews (1996) claim that successful strategies for emotional distress are effective through being a combination of conferring a positive, meaningful context to the experience and through directly or indirectly producing a change in the individual’s perspective from viewing their distressing thoughts as accurate representations of reality (object mode processing) to viewing them as transitory mental events (metacognitive mode processing). Semi-structured interviews were conducted and audio-recorded, using four participants who have a history of low mood. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis was used due to its centralising of contexts, meanings and perspectives. Three themes were generated, which are explored in relation to existing research: (1) A concern with fulfilling external expectations and pressures, and meeting personal standards, (2) A period of intense embodied emotional and perceptual experiences incongruous with the external environment, and (3) Making constructive sense of the embodied experiences.