WORRY, WORRY PROCESSES AND DIMENSIONS OF DELUSIONS: AN EXPLORATORY INVESTIGATION OF A ROLE FOR ANXIETY PROCESSES IN THE MAINTENANCE OF DELUSIONAL DISTRESS

1999 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Freeman ◽  
Philippa A. Garety
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Cognitive Model ◽  
Theoretical Development ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Persecutory Delusions ◽  
Exploratory Investigation ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Anxious Group

The efficacy of CBT for psychosis will be enhanced by a greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying symptoms. Therefore, an investigation is reported that examined a role for a neglected factor, anxiety, in the maintenance of delusional beliefs. It was hypothesized that processes responsible for chronic worry, as detailed by Wells’ (1994a) meta-cognitive model, contribute to delusional distress. Questionnaire measures of anxiety, chronic worry and of meta-worry and related processes were administered to individuals with persecutory delusions (N=15) and individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) (N=14). Evidence was found for the presence of dysfunctional meta-cognitive processes in the clinically anxious group, which adds to the growing support for the model of GAD. Moreover, it was found that many of the individuals with persecutory delusions had high levels of general worry, and the factors implicated in the meta-cognitive model of anxiety were also present in this group. The results indicated that delusional distress is not simply related to content but is associated with whether the individual experiences meta-worry concerning the control of delusion-relevant worries, that is, whether he or she worries about not being able to control thoughts about the belief. This is the first theoretical development of the important dimension of delusional distress.

scholarly journals Short-Term Efficacy Of A Worry Postponement Intervention for Generalized Anxiety Disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Tallon
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Stimulus Control ◽  
Behavioural Therapy ◽  
Mechanisms Of Change ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Common Component ◽  
Metacognitive Beliefs ◽  
Before And After

Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Worry postponement (WP), in which a client is asked to postpone worry until a 30-minute “worry time,” is a common component of CBT for GAD; however, the efficacy of WP has never been tested in people with GAD. Further, the mechanisms of change of WP are not known; nor are its effects on cognitive processes and symptoms related to GAD. A better understanding of the efficacy and mechanisms of change of WP could help to optimize CBT for GAD. The goals of the present study were to examine, in a sample of people with GAD, the effects of WP on worry and GAD symptoms, and cognitive processes and symptoms related to GAD. The study also examined the effects of WP on two proposed mediators: stimulus control and metacognitive beliefs. Sixty-seven adults were randomized to one of three conditions: 2- week worry postponement intervention (WP), 2-week worry monitoring intervention (MON), or an assessment only control. Participants completed outcome measures before and after the 2- week intervention period and at a 2-week follow-up. In the WP and MON conditions, participants completed daily worry monitoring using a phone-based application. All participants showed a significant decrease in past-week worry over the course of the study, with no significant differences between the conditions. There were no significant changes in GAD symptoms across conditions. There was no evidence that WP had superior effects to control groups on cognitive processes or symptoms related to GAD. There was no evidence that stimulus control or metacognitive beliefs mediated the reduction in past week worry in WP. This is the first known study to examine the effects of WP in people with GAD. Whereas worry did decrease on some indices over the course of the study, there were no significant differences between WP and two control conditions. Further this study found no evidence that WP has specific effects on two processes that are thought to be mechanisms of action. The findings of this study demonstrate the need to establish the efficacy of the treatment components used in CBT.

Women With Generalized Anxiety Disorder Show Increased Repetitive Negative Thinking During the Luteal Phase of the Menstrual Cycle

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 1037-1045
Author(s):  
Sophie H. Li ◽  
Thomas F. Denson ◽  
Bronwyn M. Graham
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Luteal Phase ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Repetitive Negative Thinking ◽  
Negative Thinking

Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is a transdiagnostic feature of psychiatric disorders. Women report greater RNT than do men, yet the association between uniquely female characteristics, such as fluctuating sex hormones during the menstrual cycle, and RNT has not been established. Here we examined changes in RNT and anxiety symptoms across the menstrual cycle in women with ( n = 40) and without ( n = 41) generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Women with GAD reported an increase in RNT and negative affect from the follicular phase to the luteal phase; unexpectedly, this was not associated with changes in anxiety symptoms, estradiol, or progesterone. Nonanxious women reported no changes in RNT or anxiety symptoms over the menstrual cycle, but higher within-participants progesterone was associated with reduced RNT and negative affect. These results indicate that uniquely female biological processes may influence core cognitive processes that underlie anxiety disorders, but further investigations to determine the implications for symptom severity are required.

Testing a cognitive model of generalized anxiety disorder in the eating disorders

2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 864-869 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Konstantellou ◽  
Mari Campbell ◽  
Ivan Eisler ◽  
Mima Simic ◽  
Janet Treasure
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Model ◽  
Generalized Anxiety

Meta-Cognition and Worry: A Cognitive Model of Generalized Anxiety Disorder

1995 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Wells
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Cognitive Therapy ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Coping Strategy ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Cognitive Model ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Negative Appraisal

A meta-cognitive classification and analysis of factors contributing to the development of problematic worry is presented. Dimensions of meta-beliefs, meta-worry, cognitive consciousness, and strategies can be distinguished. A cognitive model of Generalized Anxiety Disorder is advanced based on this framework in which GAD results from an interaction between the motivated use of worry as a coping strategy, negative appraisal of worry, and worry control attempts. These factors result from combinations of dysfunctional meta-beliefs and contribute to subjectively diminished cognitive control. The model presents new implications for a cognitive therapy of GAD, and these are illustrated with a single case treatment study.

scholarly journals Experimental Manipulation of Processing Style: Impact on Interpretive Bias, Problem Solving, and Worry in Individuals with Generalized Anxiety Disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Jane Pawluck
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Experimental Manipulation ◽  
Training Condition ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Processing Style ◽  
The Impact

The present study investigated whether individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) could be trained to adopt an abstract or concrete processing style and the impact of processing style training on GAD symptoms and cognitive processes, including an interpretation bias, negative problem solving orientation, poor problem solving, and worry. Participants (N=47) were trained to adopt an abstract or concrete processing style, and outcome measures were completed at posttraining and 1 week follow-up. At posttraining, processing style training was effective in inducing an abstract or concrete processing style. In addition, at posttraining, the concrete training condition reported reduced concern with ambiguous scenarios and produced problem solutions that were rated as more effective compared with the abstract training condition. At follow-up, there was no difference between training conditions on processing style and associated GAD symptoms and cognitive processes. Study limitations and future directions are discussed.

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