A Taxometric Investigation of the Latent Structure of Worry: Dimensionality and Associations With Depression, Anxiety, and Stress

doi:10.1016/j.beth.2009.03.001

Behavior Therapy

Volume 41, Issue 2, June 2010, Pages 212-228

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2009.03.001 Get rights and content

Abstract

Worry has been described as a core feature of several disorders, particularly generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The present study examined the latent structure of worry by applying 3 taxometric procedures (MAXEIG, MAMBAC, and L-Mode) to data collected from 2 large samples. Worry in the first sample (Study 1) of community participants (n = 1,355) was operationalized by worry engagement, absence of worry, and the worry feature of trait anxiety. Worry in the second sample (Study 2) of undergraduate participants (n = 1,171) was operationalized by the tendency to experience worry, intolerance of uncertainty, beliefs about worry, and symptoms of GAD. Results across both samples provided converging evidence that worry is best conceptualized as a dimensional construct, present to a greater or lesser extent in all individuals. Findings from Study 2 also indicated that the latent dimension of worry generally has an equal association with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress across the entire continuum. These findings are discussed in relation to the conceptualization and assessment of worry in GAD and related disorders.

Section snippets

Participants

Participants consisted of a community sample of 1,507 individuals (87% Caucasian). Of the 1,507 participants who were recruited for the study, 152 had to be excluded from these analyses due to missing data, which resulted in a final sample of 1,355 males (48%) and females (52%) ranging in age from 18 to 78 (M = 33.52, SD = 12.57).

Worry-Related Measures

The Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ; Meyer et al., 1990) is a commonly used 16-item measure of a person's overall tendency to experience worry. Participants respond

Participants

Participants consisted of 1,220 undergraduate students who completed a series of worry questionnaires (83% Caucasian). Of the 1,220 participants who were recruited for the study, 49 had to be excluded from these analyses due to missing data. Thus, the final sample consisted of 1,171 male (n = 322) and female (n = 849) students ranging in age from 18 to 41 (M = 20.15, SD = 2.01).

Worry-Related Measures

Given that Study 1 consisted of very specific measures of worry, our goal in Study 2 was to build on the findings of Study 1

Discussion

Consistent with Study 1, the findings from Study 2 produced converging evidence in support of the conclusion that the latent structure of worry is dimensional. Building on prior research, Study 2 also examined the relationship between the dimension of worry and various psychopathological symptoms. The findings suggest that worry is equally associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress across all points of the worry continuum. However, there was some evidence that the relationship

General Discussion

Several studies have observed that worry is associated with a range of psychological (Barlow, 2002, Borkovec et al., 1998) and physical (Hazlett-Stevens, Craske, Mayer, Chang, & Naliboff, 2003) disorders. A review of the literature suggests that distinctions have been made between normal and pathological worry (Roemer et al., 1997). However, it remains unclear if these categorical distinctions reflect the true latent structure of worry. In Study 1, a sample of community participants completed

Author Note

The authors would like to thank Michele A. Schottenbauer, Benjamin F. Rodriguez, Carol R. Glass, and Diane B. Arnkoff for their assistance with data collection for Study 1.

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A Taxometric Investigation of the Latent Structure of Worry: Dimensionality and Associations With Depression, Anxiety, and Stress

Abstract

Section snippets

Participants

Worry-Related Measures

Participants

Worry-Related Measures

Discussion

General Discussion

Author Note

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Journal of Anxiety Disorders

Journal of Anxiety Disorders

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Personality and Individual Differences

Journal of Psychosomatic Research

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Journal of Anxiety Disorders

Advances in Behaviour Research and Therapy

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Journal of Anxiety Disorders

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Eating Behaviors

Journal of Affective Disorders

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Journal of Anxiety Disorders

Journal of Psychosomatic Research

Age differences in the experience of worry

Journal of Mental Health and Aging

Anxiety and its disorders: The nature and treatment of anxiety and panic

The nature, functions, and origins of worry

Avoidance theory of worry and generalized anxiety disorder

Worry: A cognitive phenomenon intimately linked to affective, physiological, and interpersonal behavioral processes

Cognitive Therapy and Research

The nature of normal and pathological worry