Characteristics of Worry in Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Overview

Journal J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry

Publisher Elsevier

Specialties Pharmacology
Psychiatry
Social Sciences

Date 2013 May 9

PMID 23651607

Citations 15

Authors

Colette R Hirsch

Andrew Mathews

Belinda Lequertier

Gemma Perman

Sarra Hayes

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background & Objectives: Groups of clients and community volunteers with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and clients with Panic Disorder were compared to a group with elevated worry but without GAD on a range of measures, to identify individual differences beyond a high propensity to worry.

Method: Participants completed standardised questionnaires and a behavioural worry task that assesses frequency and severity of negative thought intrusions.

Results: Relative to high worriers, clients with GAD had higher scores on trait anxiety, depression, more negative beliefs about worry, a greater range of worry topics, and more frequent and severe negative thought intrusions. Relative to community volunteers with GAD, clients in treatment reported poorer attentional control. Compared to clients with Panic Disorder, clients with GAD had higher trait anxiety, propensity to worry, negative beliefs and a wider range of worry content.

Conclusions: Results confirmed expectations of group differences based on GAD diagnostic criteria, but also revealed other differences in mood, characteristics of worry, and perceived attentional control that may play a role in the decision to seek treatment.

Citing Articles

The relationship between climate change and mental health: a systematic review of the association between eco-anxiety, psychological distress, and symptoms of major affective disorders.

Cosh S, Ryan R, Fallander K, Robinson K, Tognela J, Tully P BMC Psychiatry. 2024; 24(1):833.

PMID: 39567913 PMC: 11577747. DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-06274-1.

Repetitive Negative Thinking in Adolescents Who Stutter.

Tichenor S, Gerwin K, Walsh B J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2023; 66(9):3290-3306.

PMID: 37494925 PMC: 10558142. DOI: 10.1044/2023_JSLHR-23-00147.

Meaning in life, psychological hardiness and death anxiety: individuals with or without generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

Dursun P, Alyagut P, Yilmaz I Curr Psychol. 2022; 41(6):3299-3317.

PMID: 35035188 PMC: 8742667. DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-02695-3.

Worry and Positive Episodes in the Daily Lives of Individuals With Generalized Anxiety Disorder: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study.

Visla A, Zinbarg R, Hilpert P, Allemand M, Fluckiger C Front Psychol. 2021; 12:722881.

PMID: 34777100 PMC: 8579489. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.722881.

Acute neurofunctional effects of escitalopram during emotional processing in pediatric anxiety: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Lu L, Li H, Baumel W, Mills J, Cecil K, Schroeder H Neuropsychopharmacology. 2021; 47(5):1081-1087.

PMID: 34580419 PMC: 8938471. DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01186-0.

References

Bishop S . Trait anxiety and impoverished prefrontal control of attention. Nat Neurosci. 2008; 12(1):92-8. DOI: 10.1038/nn.2242. View

Meyer T, Miller M, Metzger R, Borkovec T . Development and validation of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire. Behav Res Ther. 1990; 28(6):487-95. DOI: 10.1016/0005-7967(90)90135-6. View

Beck A, Steer R, Ball R, Ranieri W . Comparison of Beck Depression Inventories -IA and -II in psychiatric outpatients. J Pers Assess. 1996; 67(3):588-97. DOI: 10.1207/s15327752jpa6703_13. View

Borkovec T, Robinson E, Pruzinsky T, DePree J . Preliminary exploration of worry: some characteristics and processes. Behav Res Ther. 1983; 21(1):9-16. DOI: 10.1016/0005-7967(83)90121-3. View

Davey G . A comparison of three worry questionnaires. Behav Res Ther. 1993; 31(1):51-6. DOI: 10.1016/0005-7967(93)90042-s. View

Reinholdt-Dunne M, Mogg K, Bradley B . Effects of anxiety and attention control on processing pictorial and linguistic emotional information. Behav Res Ther. 2009; 47(5):410-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2009.01.012. View

Krebs G, Hirsch C, Mathews A . The effect of attention modification with explicit vs. minimal instructions on worry. Behav Res Ther. 2009; 48(3):251-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2009.10.009. View

Zanarini M, Skodol A, Bender D, Dolan R, Sanislow C, Schaefer E . The Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study: reliability of axis I and II diagnoses. J Pers Disord. 2001; 14(4):291-9. DOI: 10.1521/pedi.2000.14.4.291. View

Derryberry D, Reed M . Anxiety-related attentional biases and their regulation by attentional control. J Abnorm Psychol. 2002; 111(2):225-36. DOI: 10.1037//0021-843x.111.2.225. View

10.

Hirsch C, Mathews A . A cognitive model of pathological worry. Behav Res Ther. 2012; 50(10):636-46. PMC: 3444754. DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2012.06.007. View

11.

Leigh E, Hirsch C . Worry in imagery and verbal form: effect on residual working memory capacity. Behav Res Ther. 2010; 49(2):99-105. PMC: 3041927. DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2010.11.005. View

12.

Hayes S, Hirsch C, Krebs G, Mathews A . The effects of modifying interpretation bias on worry in generalized anxiety disorder. Behav Res Ther. 2009; 48(3):171-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2009.10.006. View

13.

Cartwright-Hatton S, Wells A . Beliefs about worry and intrusions: the Meta-Cognitions Questionnaire and its correlates. J Anxiety Disord. 1997; 11(3):279-96. DOI: 10.1016/s0887-6185(97)00011-x. View

14.

Wells A, Cartwright-Hatton S . A short form of the metacognitions questionnaire: properties of the MCQ-30. Behav Res Ther. 2004; 42(4):385-96. DOI: 10.1016/S0005-7967(03)00147-5. View

15.

Hirsch C, Hayes S, Mathews A . Looking on the bright side: accessing benign meanings reduces worry. J Abnorm Psychol. 2009; 118(1):44-54. DOI: 10.1037/a0013473. View

16.

Hirsch C, Macleod C, Mathews A, Sandher O, Siyani A, Hayes S . The contribution of attentional bias to worry: distinguishing the roles of selective engagement and disengagement. J Anxiety Disord. 2010; 25(2):272-7. PMC: 3034027. DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2010.09.013. View

17.

Ruscio A, Borkovec T . Experience and appraisal of worry among high worriers with and without generalized anxiety disorder. Behav Res Ther. 2004; 42(12):1469-82. DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2003.10.007. View

18.

Ruscio A . Delimiting the boundaries of generalized anxiety disorder: differentiating high worriers with and without GAD. J Anxiety Disord. 2002; 16(4):377-400. DOI: 10.1016/s0887-6185(02)00130-5. View

19.

Brown T, Antony M, Barlow D . Psychometric properties of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire in a clinical anxiety disorders sample. Behav Res Ther. 1992; 30(1):33-7. DOI: 10.1016/0005-7967(92)90093-v. View

20.

Ruscio A, Borkovec T, Ruscio J . A taxometric investigation of the latent structure of worry. J Abnorm Psychol. 2001; 110(3):413-22. DOI: 10.1037//0021-843x.110.3.413. View