Characteristics of worry in Generalized Anxiety Disorder

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2013.03.004Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • People with GAD were compared with high worriers and a Panic Disorder group.

  • Severity & frequency of negative intrusions was greater in GADs than in high worriers.

  • GAD clients had poorer perceived attentional control than Community GADs.

  • GAD clients reported a greater need to control their thinking than Community GADs.

  • GAD clients had a greater range of worry content and concerns than panic clients.

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.

Keywords

Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Panic Disorder
Worry
Attentional control
Metacognitive beliefs

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