Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Understanding Adolescent Worry: The Application of a Cognitive Model

  • Published:
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The relationship between worry and 4 cognitive variables, intolerance of uncertainty, positive beliefs about worry, negative problem orientation, and cognitive avoidance, was examined in an adolescent sample of 528 boys and girls aged 14–18. The participants completed questionnaires assessing worry, somatic anxiety symptoms, and the variables mentioned above. The results show that (a) intolerance of uncertainty, positive beliefs about worry, and negative problem orientation each account for a significant amount of variance in adolescent worry scores in the multiple regression, and (b) the discriminant function derived from the 4 variables is effective in classifying moderate and high worriers into their respective groups (72.8% correct classification). Furthermore, analyses demonstrate that intolerance of uncertainty has the strongest association with worry scores and is the most important variable in discriminating between moderate and high adolescent worriers. These results suggest that intolerance of uncertainty plays a key role in our understanding of adolescent worry.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arnett, J. J. (1999). Adolescent storm and stress, reconsidered. American Psychologist, 54, 317-326.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beaudoin, S., Tremblay, M., Carbonneau, C., Dugas, M. J., Provencher, M., & Ladouceur, R. (1997, October). Validation d'un instrument diagnostique pour le Trouble d'anxiété généralisée [Validation of a diagnostic instrument for generalized anxiety disorder]. Poster session presented at the annual convention of the Société québecoise pour la recherche en psychologie, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.

  • Borkovec, T. D. (1994). The nature, functions, and origins of worry. In G. C. L. Davey & F. Tallis (Eds.), Worrying: Perspectives on theory, assessment, and treatment (pp. 5-33). Chichester, England: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borkovec, T. D., & Hu, S. (1990). The effect of worry on cardiovascular response to phobic imagery. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 28, 69-73.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borkovec, T. D., & Inz, J. (1990). The nature of worry in generalized anxiety disorder: A predominance of thought activity. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 28, 153-158.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borkovec, T. D., Lyonfields, J. D., Wiser, S. L., & Deihl, L. (1993). The role of worrisome thinking in the suppression of cardiovascular response to phobic imagery. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 31, 321-324.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borkovec, T. D., & Roemer, L. (1995). Perceived functions of worry among generalized anxiety disorder subjects: Distraction from more emotionally distressed topics? Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 26, 25-30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Buhr, K., & Dugas, M. J. (2002). The Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale: Psychometric properties of the English version. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 40, 931-945.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chorpita, B. F., Tracey, S. A., Brown, T. A., Collica, T. J., & Barlow, D. H. (1997). Assessment of worry in children and adolescents: An adaptation of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35, 569-581.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cole, D. A., Lachlan, G. P., Martin, J. M., Truglio, R., & Seroczynski, A. D. (1998). A longitudinal look at the relation between depression and anxiety in children and adolescents. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66, 451-460.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davey, G. C. L. (1994). Worrying, social problem-solving abilities, and social problem-solving confidence. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 32, 327-330.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davey, G. C. L., Tallis, F., & Cappuzo, N. (1996). Beliefs about the consequences of worrying. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 5, 499-520.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dugas, M. J., Buhr, K., & Ladouceur, R. (in press). The role of intolerance of uncertainty in the etiology and maintenance of generalized anxiety disorder. In R. G. Heimberg, C. L. Turk, & D. S. Mennin (Eds.), Generalized anxiety disorder: Advances in research and practice. New York: Guilford Press.

  • Dugas, M. J., Freeston, M. H., & Ladouceur, R. (1995, October). Validation de mesures des mécanismes liés à l'inquiétude [Validation of measures of the mechanisms related to worry]. Poster session presented at the annual convention of the Société québecoise pour la recherche en psychologie, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

  • Dugas, M. J., Freeston, M. H., & Ladouceur, R. (1997). Intolerance of uncertainty and problem orientation in worry. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 21, 593-606.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dugas, M. J., Freeston, M. H., Provencher, M. D., Lachance, S., Ladouceur, R., & Gosselin, P. (2001). Le Questionnaire sur l'inquiétude et l'anxiété: Validation dans des échantillons non cliniques et cliniques [The Worry and Anxiety Questionnaire: Validation in nonclinical and clinical samples]. Journal de Thérapie Comportementale et Cognitive, 11, 31-36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dugas, M. J., Gagnon, F., Ladouceur, R., & Freeston, M. H. (1998). Generalized anxiety disorder: A preliminary test of a conceptual model. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36, 215-226.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dugas, M. J., & Ladouceur, R. (2000). Treatment of GAD: Targeting intolerance of uncertainty in two types of worry. Behavior Modification, 24, 635-657.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • D'Zurilla, T. J., & Nezu, A. M. (1990). Development and preliminary evaluation of the Social Problem-Solving Inventory. Psychological Assessment, 2, 156-163.

    Google Scholar 

  • D'Zurilla, T. J., Nezu, A. M., & Maydeu-Olivares, A. (1997). Manual for the Social Problem-Solving Inventory–Revised. North Tonawanda, NY: Multi-Health Systems.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foa, E. B., & Kozak, M. J. (1986). Emotional processing of fear: Exposure to corrective information. Psychological Bulletin, 99, 20-35.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fournier, S. (1997) Worry themes and tendency to worry among a teenage sample. Unpublished master's thesis, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fournier, S., Freeston, M. H., Ladouceur, R., Dugas, M. J., & Guévin, M. C. (1996, August). Excessive worry and anxiety in junior and senior high school students. Poster session presented at the biannual convention of the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

  • Freeston, M. H., Rhéaume, J., Letarte, H., Dugas, M. J., & Ladouceur, R. (1994). Why do people worry? Personality and Individual Differences, 17, 791-802.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gosselin, P., Tremblay, M., Dugas, M. J., & Ladouceur, R. (2002). Les inquietudes chez les adolescents: propriétés psychométriques de la version française du Penn State Worry Questionnaire for Children [Worry in adolescents: Psychometric properties of the French version of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire for children]. Manuscript submitted for publication.

  • Holowka, D. W., Dugas, M. J., Francis, K., & Laugesen, N. (2000, November). Measuring beliefs about worry: A psychometric evaluation of the Why Worry-II Questionnaire. Poster session presented at the annual convention of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy, New Orleans, LO.

  • Huang, C., Liao, H., & Chang, S. (1998). Social desirability and the clinical self-report inventory: Methodological reconsiderations. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 54, 517-528.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lachance, S., Ladouceur, R., & Dugas, M. J. (1999). Eléments d'explication de la tendance à s'inquiéter [Elements explaining the tendency to worry]. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 48, 187-196.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ladouceur, R., Dugas, M., Freeston, M. H., Léger, E., Gagnon, F., & Thibodeau, N. (2000). Efficacy of a cognitive–behavioral treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: Evaluation in a controlled clinical trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68, 957-964.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ladouceur, R., Gosselin, P., & Dugas, M. J. (2000). Experimental manipulation of intolerance of uncertainty: A study of a theoretical model of worry. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 38, 933-941.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ladouceur, R., Talbot, F., & Dugas, M. J. (1997). Behavioural expressions of intolerance of uncertainty in worry. Behavior Modification, 21, 355-371.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Langlois, F., Gosselin, P., Laberge, M., Tremblay, M., Leger, E., Provencher, M., et al. (1999, April). Les Croyances érronées face aux inquiétudes: Validation de la version révisée du questionnaire Pourquoi S'Inquiéter [Erroneous beliefs about worry: Validation of the revised version of the Why Worry Questionnaire]. Poster session presented at the annual conference of the Association Francophone de Formation et de Recherche en Thérapie Comportementale et Cognitive, Lyon, France.

  • Lavy, E., & van den Hout, M. (1990). Thought suppression induces intrusions. Behavioural Psychotherapy, 18, 251-258.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leblanc, M. M., Powers, D. A., Kelley, M. L., Hope, T., & Waschbusch, D. A. (1999, November). The relationship between worry and social problem solving in adolescents. Poster session presented at the annual convention of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

  • Lemay, D., Gosselin, P., Laberge, M., Freeston, M. H., Langlois, F., & Ladouceur, R. (1997, October). Inquiétudes chez les adolescents: évitement cognitif et croyances reliées à l'utilité des inquiétudes [Adolescent worry: Cognitive avoidance and beliefs about the usefulness of worry]. Poster session presented at the annual convention of the Société Québécoise pour Recherche en Psychologie. Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.

  • Letarte, H., Ladouceur, R., Freeston, M. H., & Rhéaume, J. (1997). Incentive to suppress a neutral thought. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 25, 219-229.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maydeu-Olivares, A., & D'Zurilla, T. J. (1996). A factor analysis of the Social Problem-Solving Inventory using polychoric correlations. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 11, 98-107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Merckelbach, H., Muris, P., van den Hout, M., & de Jong, P. (1991). Rebound effects of thought suppression: Instruction dependent? Behavioural Psychotherapy, 19, 225-238.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, T. J., Miller, M. L., Metzger, R. L., & Borkovec, T. D. (1990). Development and validation of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 28, 487-496.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Morton, W. J., & Westwood, M. (1997). Informed consent in children and adolescents. Paediatric Child Health, 2, 329-333.

    Google Scholar 

  • Silverman, W. K., La Greca, A. M., & Wasserstein, S. (1995). What do children worry about? Worries and their relation to anxiety. Child Development, 66, 671-686.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Spruijt-Metz, D., & Spruijt-Metz, R. (1997). Worries and health in adolescence: A latent variable approach. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 26, 485-501.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stöber, J., & Wolfradt, U. (2001). Worry and social desirability: Opposite relationships for socio-political and social-evaluation worries. Personality and Individual Differences, 31, 605-613.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (1996). Using multivariate statistics (3rd ed.). New York: Harper Collins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vasey, M. W. (1993). Development and cognition in childhood anxiety: The example of worry. In T. H. Ollendick & R. J. Prinz (Eds.), Advances in clinical child psychology (Vol. 15, pp. 1-39). New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vasey, M. W., & Daleiden, E. (1994). Worry in children. In G. C. L. Davey & F. Tallis (Eds.), Worrying: Perspectives on theory, assessment and treatment (pp. 184-207). Chichester, England: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wegner, D. M., & Zanakos, S. (1994). Chronic thought suppression. Journal of Personality, 62, 615-640.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wells, A. (1995). Meta-cognition and worry: A cognitive model of generalized anxiety disorder. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 23, 301-320.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Research in Human Development, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Nina Laugesen, Michel J. Dugas & William M. Bukowski

  2. Clinique des troubles anxieux, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Michel J. Dugas

Authors
  1. Nina Laugesen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michel J. Dugas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. William M. Bukowski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michel J. Dugas.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Laugesen, N., Dugas, M.J. & Bukowski, W.M. Understanding Adolescent Worry: The Application of a Cognitive Model. J Abnorm Child Psychol 31, 55–64 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021721332181

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021721332181

Search

Navigation