Validity and Reliability of the Core Beliefs Questionnaire in a Sample of Individuals with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Non-Clinical Samples

Background: Core beliefs are cognitive structures that shape one's fundamental assumptions about the self, the external environment, and the future. They play a pivotal role in the development of numerous mental pathologies. The Core Beliefs Questionnaire (CBQ) is one of the inventories developed to evaluate core beliefs. It is comprised of 3 versions: "Trait (CBQT)," "Contingent (CBQC)," and "Others (CBQO)." This study aims to examine the validity and reliability of the CBQ in a Turkish sample. Methods: The study included 2 groups: a group of individuals diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) (n = 150) and a group of healthy individuals (n = 150). A "Socio-demographic Data Form," the "CBQ," the "Social Comparison Scale (SCS)," the "State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)," the "Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)," and the "Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)" were administered to the participants. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the construct validity of all 3 versions of the CBQ. Furthermore, Cronbach's alpha analyses showed that all three versions were highly reliable (GAD group: CBQT alpha = 0.93, CBQC alpha = 0.96, and CBQO alpha = 0.96, control group: CBQT alpha = 0.95, CBQC alpha = 0.98, and CBQO alpha= 0.94). The GAD group had significantly higher negative core beliefs compared to the healthy control group. Conclusion: Our research findings indicate that the CBQ is a valid and reliable measure for assessing core beliefs in clinical and non-clinical samples. While the majority of research on GAD has concentrated on particular cognitive processes, such as worry and uncertainty, this study demonstrated that individuals with GAD may have a multitude of negative core beliefs.