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Related Experiment Videos

What's the use of worrying? Its function and its dysfunction.

Gemma Gladstone1, Gordon Parker

  • 1School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales and Mood Disorders Unit, Black Dog Institute, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales 2031, Australia. g.gladstone@unsw.edu.au

The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
|June 5, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Worry can be helpful or harmful. Severe worry, marked by uncontrollability and pervasive themes, disrupts daily life and is linked to emotional disturbance, guiding treatment approaches.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Background:

  • Worry is a cognitive activity with significant implications for mental health.
  • Understanding the dual nature of worry (functional vs. dysfunctional) is crucial for clinical assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the theoretical underpinnings and empirical research on the phenomenology and psychological function of worry.
  • To synthesize findings on worry as a cognitive process over the past two decades.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature search.
  • Focus on worry conceptualized as a cognitive activity.
  • Inclusion of research from the last 20 years.

Main Results:

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  • Worry exhibits both functional and dysfunctional characteristics.
  • Specific indicators of severe, dysfunctional worry include disruption to daily functioning, perceived uncontrollability, pervasive themes, and meta-worry.
  • These factors differentiate severe worry from less problematic forms.

    • Conclusions:

    • Research highlights the intricate relationship between worry and anxiety.
    • Identifying attributes of severe worriers informs our understanding of emotional disturbance.
    • Key factors relevant to the treatment of worry have been clarified.