The COVID-19 crisis has created a "mental health pandemic" throughout the world. Scientific data are not available to fully understand the nature of the resulting mental health impact given the very recent onset of the pandemic, nevertheless, there is a need to act immediately to develop psychotherapeutic strategies that may alleviate pandemic-related distress. The psychological distress, in particular fear and sadness, is a function of the pandemic's negative impact upon people's ability to meet their most basic needs (e.g., physical safety, financial security, social connection, participation in meaningful activities). This paper presents evidence-based cognitive behavioral strategies that should prove useful in reducing the emotional suffering associated with the COVID crisis.

Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is a well-established transdiagnostic cognitive process that plays a critical role in the development and maintenance of what are termed emotional disorders. Existing measures of RNT have focused on either disorder-specific (e.g., rumination and worry) or disorder-independent RNT, respectively. The objective of the current study was to develop and validate a psychometrically robust self-report measurement tool that captures both disorder-independent and disorder-specific RNT. The 22-item Repetitive Negative Thoughts Questionnaire (RNTQ) was evaluated across two non-clinical convenience samples and one clinical sample (total n = 1,551) using a combination of factor analytic approaches. A hierarchical model with four subfactors (Worry, Brooding, Interference, and Pessimistic Fixation) was the best fitting model across the three samples. The RNTQ and its subscales demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α > .88), robust 3-month test-retest reliability (r = .76), and strong convergent validity with self-reported psychopathology symptoms and related constructs (r’s > .5). Participants with probable comorbid anxiety and depression exhibited significantly more RNT than participants with no likely psychopathology (p < .001). The RNTQ is a valid and psychometrically sound measure of both transdiagnostic and what is termed disorder-specific RNT with potential utility in both clinical and research settings.