(PS2-93) Belief in a Dangerous World: Demographic and Clinical Correlates in a Large-scale Epidemiological Study

Abstract Text: Cognitive distortions are thought to play a significant role in the etiology and maintenance of psychopathology. The belief in a dangerous world (BDW) is an important cognitive distortion that, along with other distortions, was recently added as a diagnostic criterion for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Due to its grouping with other distortions, the BDW has not been examined in large-scale epidemiological studies, though one recent survey assessed it in isolation. This recent methodological change provided a novel opportunity to empirically evaluate this cognitive distortion in a large representative sample. We used data from the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Disorders-III (NESARC-III), which assessed BDW as part of the PTSD diagnostic module. Sociodemographic factors, psychiatric diagnoses, and trauma type histories were examined in a subsample of the NESARC-III that endorsed at least one traumatic event (N = 23,936; Mage = 46.2, SD = 17.2). When covarying for demographics and trauma history, endorsement of BDW was more likely among Black (AOR = 1.61, p < .001) and Hispanic (AOR = 1.46, p < .001) respondents, and was also associated with being single (AOR = 0.87, p < .001), identifying as Bisexual (AOR = 1.57, p = .008), having lower income (AOR = 0.96, p < .001) and education (AOR = 0.89, p < .001), and greater importance of religious beliefs (AOR = 1.14, p < .001). Additionally, major depressive disorder (AOR = 1.78, p < .001), bipolar 1 (AOR = 2.27, p < .001), panic disorder (AOR = 1.78, p < .001), agoraphobia (AOR = 1.46, p = .007), generalized anxiety disorder (AOR = 1.54, p < .001), borderline personality disorder (AOR = 2.95, p < .001), and suicide attempt history (AOR = 1.58, p < .001) were uniquely associated with endorsement of BDW when covarying for other comorbid diagnoses, including PTSD. These findings highlight the transdiagnostic nature of BDW and its relevance in different populations.