Automatic Thought Systems: A Multinational Network Analysis Study

Multinational cross-sectional study using network analysis (Gaussian graphical models) to examine the structure of negative automatic thoughts measured by the ATQ-8 in 3,964 participants from six countries (Saudi Arabia, China, Spain, Georgia, Turkey, and Peru). CFA confirmed the unidimensional structure across all samples. The item 'I am worthless' (ATQ4) showed the highest strength centrality overall and in most countries, acting as a cognitive hub reinforcing other negative thoughts. Gender comparisons revealed stronger interconnections among automatic thoughts in women than men, particularly between worthlessness and future hopelessness, consistent with higher depression rates in women. The overall network structure was largely consistent across countries, with some cross-cultural variation in node centrality.