Etiological beliefs about chronic worry

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is one of the most commonly diagnosed anxiety disorders, with a lifetime prevalence of 4.1–6.6% in the general population [Blazer et al., 1991; Kessler et al., 1994]. The core feature of GAD is excessive and uncontrollable worry that causes significant distress or interference in one’s life. While chronic worry and its physical correlates may be a recognizable phenomenon in the mental health profession, conceptualizing worry as a treatable clinical disorder is relatively new in the lay population. In the context of a larger study, we explored etiological beliefs about worry, taking the view that such beliefs might play a significant role in whether or not people who worry seek treatment for this problem. Furthermore, the views that people hold about the origins of their difficulties with worry can influence the kind of treatment they seek out and how they eventually will respond to treatment. While this exploration was very limited in scope, it is our hope that it heightens interest in these general issues, which at the present time have been all but ignored in the research on GAD and more generally in the research on anxiety disorders. Students enrolled in psychology classes at a large Southern university took part in a broader study on emotional expressiveness and family functioning in the development of chronic worry [see Eng and Roth, 2002]. Participants in the study completed a questionnaire packet that included standard assessments of worry [including the Penn State Worry Questionnaire, PSWQ; Meyer et al., 1990], open-ended questions on risk and protective factors for worry, and questions on emotional expression and family functioning [reported in Eng and Roth, 2002]. After completing the initial questionnaires on worry, participants were asked: ‘‘This questionnaire packet has asked you a lot about worrying. Now that you have given a lot of thought to this topic, would you describe yourself as a ‘‘worrier’’? If yes, what factors do you think have contributed to you becoming a worrier?’’ Students who did not describe themselves as worriers were asked: ‘‘What factors do you think have prevented you from becoming a worrier?’’ In total, 122 students completed questionnaire packets. Four students were excluded from the final data analysis because they were clear age outliers and three were excluded due to missing data. As such, the final sample consisted of 117 students. The mean age of the participants in the study was 20.62 (SD1⁄42.36) and the majority of participants were female (82.1 %). Participants’ narratives on factors that contributed to them being worriers or non-worriers were coded into six categories: genetics (e.g., ‘‘GeneticsFmy mom is a worrier;’’ ‘‘I feel that maybe geneticsycaused me to be easy going myself and not to be a worrier.’’); family influences (e.g., ‘‘Factors pretty much include my mom. She was always a worrier when I was growing up and still is. Her thoughts were always scared and I eventually picked up on it too,’’ ‘‘I was raised in a house with a very easy-going dad.’’); personality factors (e.g., ‘‘I have always been high strung and anxious for as long as I can remember;’’ ‘‘I am just laid back about things.’’); social/interpersonal factors (e.g., ‘‘Lack of social support network,’’ ‘‘Good friends support me.’’); life events (e.g., ‘‘I was really not a worrier till this semester of school. I am taking 15 hours this semester. I am also working 20 hours per week and I am married,’’ ‘‘A positive outlook on life through a good education at a private school and growing up in a youth leadership organization.’’); and religious factors (e.g., ‘‘My faith in God.’’). Two individuals who were blind to participant’s worry status (worrier/non-worrier) completed the coding. There was very little disagreement on coding; any disagreement was resolved through verbal discussion. Of the total sample, 72 students identified themselves as worriers (61.54% of the full sample) and 43 students identified themselves as non-worriers (36.75% of the full sample). Students who defined themselves as worriers scored significantly higher on the PSWQ than students who defined themselves as non-worriers (M1⁄458.19, SD1⁄49.34 for the worriers and M1⁄435.93, SD1⁄49.32 for the non-worriers, t(113)1⁄4 12.38, Po.0001). The PSWQ measures a person’s general DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY 16:182–184 (2002)