Characteristics of worry in Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Colette R Hirsch,Andrew Mathews,Belinda Lequertier,Gemma Perman,Sarra Hayes

doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2013.03.004

Abstract

Background & objectivesGroups 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. MethodParticipants completed standardised questionnaires and a behavioural worry task that assesses frequency and severity of negative thought intrusions. ResultsRelative 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. ConclusionsResults 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.

Highlights

Worry is characterised by the repeated experience of thoughts about potential negative events, and reported proneness to worry varies continuously across the normal population (Ruscio, Borkovec, & Ruscio, 2001)
In a novel comparison between Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and those with Panic Disorder, we found that GAD clients reported higher trait anxiety, greater propensity to worry, more pervasive worry and more metacognitive beliefs about worry
The current study found evidence to support the specificity and utility of the GAD diagnostic criteria for differentiating clients with GAD from high worriers and clients diagnosed with Panic Disorder, as well other factors that differentiate treatment-seeking GAD clients from a community sample of individuals meeting GAD criteria

Summary

Introduction

Worry is characterised by the repeated experience of thoughts about potential negative events, and reported proneness to worry varies continuously across the normal population (Ruscio, Borkovec, & Ruscio, 2001). The main aim of the present study was to test hypotheses derived from the worry-related criteria currently used to diagnose GAD, by assessing the extent to which they distinguish individuals with this diagnosis from a non-clinical group with high levels of worry, or another anxiety disorder in which worry is not thought to be central, such as Panic Disorder. 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. 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. Conclusions: Results confirmed expectations of group differences based on GAD diagnostic criteria, and revealed other differences in mood, characteristics of worry, and perceived attentional control that may play a role in the decision to seek treatment

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Conclusion