Maladaptive Thought Control Strategies in Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, and nonpatient Groups and Relationships with Trait Anxiety

Abstract

Studies using the Thought Control Questionnaire (TCQ) have identified maladaptive thought control typified by worry and punishment. In the present study patterns of thought control strategy used by patients with GAD and MDD were compared with each other and with a group of nonpatient controls. The relationship between individual strategies and psychological vulnerability (trait-anxiety) was also examined. GAD and MDD groups could be distinguished from the control group by greater use of worry as a strategy, while the GAD group also used more punishment than either the MDD or control group. The results show evidence of a preponderance of maladaptive control strategies in these patients. In contrast, the control group used more social control and distraction. Worry was an independent positive predictor of trait-anxiety and distraction was an independent negative predictor. The theoretical implications are discussed in the context of the metacognitive model of psychological disorder.