scholarly journals An experimental and experience sampling study of emotion in people with generalized anxiety disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth J. Pawluk
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Emotion Dysregulation ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Experience Sampling ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Emotional Intensity ◽  
Mean Intensity

Difficulties with emotion and emotion regulation have a significant role in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), however, much remains unknown about the emotional profile of people with GAD. The emotion dysregulation model (Mennin et al., 2005) suggests that people with GAD experience emotions at a heightened intensity and use maladaptive strategies, including worry, to regulate their distress. This dissertation comprises two independent studies to test tenets of the model. Study 1 was a laboratory-based experiment to clarify if the heightened emotional intensity experienced by people with GAD is due to baseline arousal or emotional reactivity. The subjective emotional and physiological responses of people with GAD (n = 22) were compared to those of people with social anxiety disorder (SAD; n = 23) and nonclinical controls (NCC; n = 20) at baseline and following an emotion induction. The GAD group reported greater subjective intensity of negative emotions and lower intensity of positive emotions relative to the control groups. No differences were found across the three groups in their level of emotional reactivity. The findings highlight that baseline intensity, not emotional reactivity, accounts for the heightened emotional intensity reported by people with GAD. Study 2 was an experience sampling study to identify the emotional profile of people with GAD and examine direct effect of worry and of external events on negative and positive emotions in daily life. Relative to the NCC group (n = 41), the GAD group (n = 39) exhibited an emotional profile characterized by elevated mean intensity, greater instability and greater inertia of negative emotions and lower mean intensity, greater instability and lower inertia of positive emotions. Worry had a greater negative effect on the emotions reported by the GAD group relative to those of the NCC group. Finally, the groups did not differ in degree of emotional reactivity to negative events, but the GAD group reported a greater increase in positive emotion and a greater decrease in negative emotion following a positive event compared to the NCC group. Overall, the findings inform the emotion dysregulation model and provide unique insights into the dynamic emotional experiences of those with GAD.

scholarly journals An experimental and experience sampling study of emotion in people with generalized anxiety disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth J. Pawluk
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Emotion Dysregulation ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Experience Sampling ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Emotional Intensity ◽  
Mean Intensity

Difficulties with emotion and emotion regulation have a significant role in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), however, much remains unknown about the emotional profile of people with GAD. The emotion dysregulation model (Mennin et al., 2005) suggests that people with GAD experience emotions at a heightened intensity and use maladaptive strategies, including worry, to regulate their distress. This dissertation comprises two independent studies to test tenets of the model. Study 1 was a laboratory-based experiment to clarify if the heightened emotional intensity experienced by people with GAD is due to baseline arousal or emotional reactivity. The subjective emotional and physiological responses of people with GAD (n = 22) were compared to those of people with social anxiety disorder (SAD; n = 23) and nonclinical controls (NCC; n = 20) at baseline and following an emotion induction. The GAD group reported greater subjective intensity of negative emotions and lower intensity of positive emotions relative to the control groups. No differences were found across the three groups in their level of emotional reactivity. The findings highlight that baseline intensity, not emotional reactivity, accounts for the heightened emotional intensity reported by people with GAD. Study 2 was an experience sampling study to identify the emotional profile of people with GAD and examine direct effect of worry and of external events on negative and positive emotions in daily life. Relative to the NCC group (n = 41), the GAD group (n = 39) exhibited an emotional profile characterized by elevated mean intensity, greater instability and greater inertia of negative emotions and lower mean intensity, greater instability and lower inertia of positive emotions. Worry had a greater negative effect on the emotions reported by the GAD group relative to those of the NCC group. Finally, the groups did not differ in degree of emotional reactivity to negative events, but the GAD group reported a greater increase in positive emotion and a greater decrease in negative emotion following a positive event compared to the NCC group. Overall, the findings inform the emotion dysregulation model and provide unique insights into the dynamic emotional experiences of those with GAD.

Psychometric Properties of the Spontaneous and Deliberate Mind Wandering Scales

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 878-890 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Marcusson-Clavertz ◽  
Oscar N. E. Kjell
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Social Desirability ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Experience Sampling ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Psychological Variables

Abstract. Thinking about task-unrelated matters (mind wandering) is related to cognition and well-being. However, the relations between mind wandering and other psychological variables may depend on whether the former commence spontaneously or deliberately. The current two studies investigated the psychometric properties of the Spontaneous and Deliberate Mind Wandering Scales (SDMWS; Carriere, Seli, & Smilek, 2013 ). Study 1 evaluated the stability of the scales over 2 weeks ( N = 284 at Time 1), whereas Study 2 ( N = 323) evaluated their relations to Generalized anxiety disorder symptoms, Openness, Social desirability, and experience-sampling reports of intentional and unintentional mind wandering during an online cognitive task. The results indicated that the SDMWS were better fitted with a two-factor than a one-factor solution, although the fit was improved with the exclusion of one item. The scales exhibited strong measurement invariance across gender and time, and moderately high test-retest reliability. Spontaneous mind wandering predicted Generalized anxiety disorder and experience-sampling reports of unintentional mind wandering, whereas Deliberate mind wandering predicted Openness and experience-sampling reports of intentional mind wandering. Furthermore, Spontaneous mind wandering showed a negative association with social desirability of weak-to-medium strength. In sum, the scales generally showed favorable psychometric properties.

Directed threat imagery in generalized anxiety disorder

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 617-628 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Buff ◽  
C. Schmidt ◽  
L. Brinkmann ◽  
B. Gathmann ◽  
S. Tupak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Initial Exposure

BackgroundWorrying has been suggested to prevent emotional and elaborative processing of fears. In cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) patients are exposed to their fears during the method of directed threat imagery by inducing emotional reactivity. However, studies investigating neural correlates of directed threat imagery and emotional reactivity in GAD patients are lacking. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study aimed at delineating neural correlates of directed threat imagery in GAD patients.MethodNineteen GAD patients and 19 healthy controls (HC) were exposed to narrative scripts of either disorder-related or neutral content and were encouraged to imagine it as vividly as possible.ResultsRating results showed that GAD patients experienced disorder-related scripts as more anxiety inducing and arousing than HC. These results were also reflected in fMRI data: Disorder-related v. neutral scripts elicited elevated activity in the amygdala, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and the thalamus as well as reduced activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex/subgenual anterior cingulate cortex in GAD patients relative to HC.ConclusionThe present study presents the first behavioral and neural evidence for emotional reactivity during directed threat imagery in GAD. The brain activity pattern suggests an involvement of a fear processing network as a neural correlate of initial exposure during directed imagery in CBT in GAD.

scholarly journals Does a restriction in working memory capacity mediate the relationship between worry and interpretive biases in generalized anxiety disorder?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Tallon
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Emotion Dysregulation ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Interpretation Biases ◽  
Lower Baseline ◽  
Negative Problem Orientation ◽  
Methodological Considerations

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by excessive, uncontrollable worry and is associated with specific cognitive and emotional difficulties including a threat interpretation bias (IB). Worry, especially in a verbal mode, has been shown to cause a temporary restriction in working memory (WM) capacity. This study examined whether the effects of worry on WM account for threat interpretation biases in GAD. Participants (N = 36) with GAD completed questionnaires assessing worry and related processes. Lower baseline WM was related to higher state anxiety, emotion dysregulation, intolerance of uncertainty, thought suppression, negative problem orientation, and lower attentional control, and was not associated with trait worry. Participants were trained to worry in verbal or imagery form, per Leigh and Hirsch (2011), and then completed a WM task and an IB task a second time. Induced worry, regardless of its form, did not significantly affect WM or IB. Theoretical implications and methodological considerations are discussed.

scholarly journals Prefrontal and amygdala engagement during emotional reactivity and regulation in generalized anxiety disorder

2017 ◽  
Vol 218 ◽  
pp. 398-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacklynn M. Fitzgerald ◽  
K. Luan Phan ◽  
Amy E. Kennedy ◽  
Stewart A. Shankman ◽  
Scott A. Langenecker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Generalized Anxiety

Preliminary evidence for an emotion dysregulation model of generalized anxiety disorder

2005 ◽  
Vol 43 (10) ◽  
pp. 1281-1310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas S. Mennin ◽  
Richard G. Heimberg ◽  
Cynthia L. Turk ◽  
David M. Fresco
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Emotion Dysregulation ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Generalized Anxiety

scholarly journals Does a restriction in working memory capacity mediate the relationship between worry and interpretive biases in generalized anxiety disorder?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Tallon
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Emotion Dysregulation ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Interpretation Biases ◽  
Lower Baseline ◽  
Negative Problem Orientation ◽  
Methodological Considerations

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by excessive, uncontrollable worry and is associated with specific cognitive and emotional difficulties including a threat interpretation bias (IB). Worry, especially in a verbal mode, has been shown to cause a temporary restriction in working memory (WM) capacity. This study examined whether the effects of worry on WM account for threat interpretation biases in GAD. Participants (N = 36) with GAD completed questionnaires assessing worry and related processes. Lower baseline WM was related to higher state anxiety, emotion dysregulation, intolerance of uncertainty, thought suppression, negative problem orientation, and lower attentional control, and was not associated with trait worry. Participants were trained to worry in verbal or imagery form, per Leigh and Hirsch (2011), and then completed a WM task and an IB task a second time. Induced worry, regardless of its form, did not significantly affect WM or IB. Theoretical implications and methodological considerations are discussed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document