role of types of inner speech in the prediction of symptoms of anxiety, depression, somatization, and distress in the normal population

Objective: it is extremely common for adults to use self-talk to regulate their behavior. however, the underlying processes leading to differences in inner speech are not well understood. in this study, the correlation between various forms of self-talk and symptoms of anxiety (hyperactivity), depression, sleepiness, and distress was investigated. methods: the research method is a descriptive correlation type. the statistical population of the study included all 10 000 students of mohaghegh ardabili university in iran in the academic year of 2019-2020. a total of 378 students of mohaghegh ardabili university were selected through a multi-stage cluster sampling method. the varieties of the inner speech questionnaire (visq) and the four-dimensional symptom questionnaire (4dsq) were administered to all subjects. pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise multivariate regression analysis were used. data were analyzed by spss software, version 23.results: the results showed the strongest inner speech for predicting anxiety, depression, and somatization disorders is another type of inner speech. on the other hand, in those with distress symptoms, evaluative/critical inner speech was appropriately predictive. also, positive-regulative inner speech negatively predicts anxiety, depression, and distress. in the normal population, positive regulative inner speech is considered an appropriate predictor. conclusion: consequently, probably two types of inner speech evaluation-critical and positive-regulative exist that have more powerful construct validity, and usage of other inner speech is questionable.