Cognitive Distortions in Anxiety and Depression Among Young Adults

Abstract

The objective of this theoretical research is to identify and explain the dominant psychological variables contributing to anxiety and depressive disorders among young adults aged 18–25 years, with particular emphasis on the role of cognitive distortions. Young adulthood is a critical developmental phase marked by identity formation, academic and career-related evaluation, and heightened uncertainty about future roles. Although exposure to stressors during this period is common, anxiety and depression do not emerge uniformly, suggesting that contextual demands alone are insufficient to explain psychological vulnerability. Using a conceptual and theory-driven approach, this paper develops a cognitive distortion-driven explanatory framework to clarify why similar stress exposure results in divergent mental health outcomes. The analysis demonstrates that cognitive distortions especially catastrophizing, overgeneralization, mind reading, dichotomous thinking, and personalization serve as primary cognitive vulnerability mechanisms in the development and persistence of anxiety and depression. Emotional dysregulation is conceptualized as an amplifying process that intensifies distress, while negative self-schema functions as a stabilizing mechanism that consolidates symptoms over time. Contextual stressors are positioned primarily as triggering conditions rather than root determinants.

By establishing a clear dominance hierarchy among psychological variables, the paper offers theoretical clarity and highlights the importance of early cognitive-focused interventions within educational and organizational settings to promote psychological resilience and long-term well-being.