Mapping abstraction and metacognition onto distinct transdiagnostic symptom profiles

The study examined how abstraction (the ability to extract relevant information from complex data) and metacognition (monitoring one's own mental processes) relate to psychiatric disorders. The research involved 249 participants and analyzed their association with three transdiagnostic dimensions: compulsive hypersensitivity, social withdrawal, and addictive behaviours. Results showed that compulsive hypersensitivity was negatively associated with both abstraction (p=0.003) and metacognition (p=0.005), while social withdrawal was positively associated with metacognition alone (p=0.002). Transdiagnostic dimensions showed stronger associations with higher-order cognitive processes than individual symptoms. The findings suggest that representational and metacognitive processes could be targets for future interventions.