The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Applicability Of A Cognitive Model Of Worry To Children And Adolescents

På svenska

Author

Summary, in English

Background: Intolerance of uncertainly (IU), cognitive avoidance (CA) and positive beliefs about worry (PB) independently predict worry frequency in older adolescents and adults, and when targeted together in treatment produce significant reductions in both worry and anxiety in this age range. The present study addresses a gap in the literature by testing whether a cognitive model of excessive worry and anxiety incorporating these process variables is applicable to children and adolescents. Method: Primary and secondary school students (n=515; aged 7-19 years) completed modified self-report measures of worry frequency, anxiety, IU, CA and PB and a path analysis undertaken to test whether IU was a higher order variable for CA and PB and whether the relationship between IU/CA/PB and anxiety was mediated by worry frequency. Results: Significant (bivariate) correlations were observed between the measures of IU, PB, CA, worry and anxiety across the age range. However separate path models had to be fitted for children (aged 7-12 years) and adolescents (aged 13-19) with PB being dropped from the child model. CA was related to anxiety only through worry in children while IU showed direct paths to worry and anxiety in both children and adolescents. Conclusions: Cognitive models of persistent worry in adults and older adolescents may, with some modification, have applicability to children. Further testing and refinement of these cognitive models of worry may lead to improvements in existing treatments for anxious youth.

Publishing year

2012

Language

English

Pages

341-349

Publication/Series

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Volume

50

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Elsevier

Topic

  • Psychology

Keywords

  • childhood worry
  • cognitive model of worry
  • intolerance of uncertainty

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1873-622X