An investigation of relationships between cognitive factors associated with worry

Abstract

Worry is a common human experience which, if excessive, can be associated with functional impairment. The experience of worry has been associated with a number of higher-order cognitive processes; however it is unclear how these processes relate to one another. This study was conducted with a non-clinical sample of 123 participants to explore relationships between several psychological factors in reflection of the dimensional nature of worry. Intolerance of uncertainty, the looming cognitive style, beliefs about worry and meta-worry each independently contributed to worry, accounting for 59% of the variance in worry scores when considered together. Intolerance of uncertainty and looming cognitive style were not independent predictors of worry when beliefs about worry and meta-worry were taken into consideration. Indeed, only positive beliefs about worry and meta-worry emerged as independent predictors in the full model that was explored. Of note, meta-worry mediated the relationship between negative beliefs about worry and worry. These results suggest that an integrated model of the mechanisms that underlie worry needs to take a number of cognitive constructs into account and that cognitive therapies targeting worry should have a particular emphasis on perceptions that worrisome thoughts are dangerous, harmful and growing rapidly uncontrollable.