Psychological inflexibility as a transdiagnostic construct: relationships between cognitive fusion, psychological well-being and symptomatology

According to the experiential avoidance and psychological inflexibility model proposed by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, cognitive fusion is a core component of psychological disorders and mental health. Also, previous theorizations proposed that cognitive fusion may be independent of diagnosis, which means that it may also be present in the non-clinical population. However, evidence for this assumption is still sparse. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the relationships between cognitive fusion, symptomatology and psychological well-being in a non-clinical sample. The total sample consisted of 224 subjects (Mage = 30.6, SD = 11.5). Participants completed self-report questionnaires in a cross-sectional design. Results show medium to strong positive correlations between cognitive fusion and symptomatology and negative correlations between cognitive fusion and well-being. Furthermore, cognitive fusion was a significant mediator of the relationship between psychological well-being and symptomatology. Our results support the assumption that cognitive fusion, as a component of psychological inflexibility, may be a core transdiagnostic variable in mental health.