Relationships between worry, obsessive-compulsive symptoms and meta-cognitive beliefs

Behav Res Ther. 1998 Sep;36(9):899-913. doi: 10.1016/s0005-7967(98)00070-9.

Abstract

The present study had two principal aims. First, the overlap between the revised Padua Inventory (PI-WSUR) a measure of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (Burns et al., 1996) and worry was assessed. Second, the relationship between meta-cognitive beliefs, proneness to pathological worry and obsessive-compulsive symptoms was explored when controlling for the interdependency of worry and obsessive-compulsive measures. The results indicate that whilst the PI-WSUR shows reduced overlap with the Penn State Worry Questionnaire, there are still problematic levels of overlap with a more content-based measure of worry. Results of multiple regression analyses demonstrated that specific sets of meta-cognitive beliefs were associated with worry proneness and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The present data are consistent with recent formulations of generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anxiety / diagnosis
  • Anxiety / psychology*
  • Cognition / physiology*
  • Confidence Intervals
  • Disease Susceptibility
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / diagnosis
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / psychology*
  • Personality Inventory / standards*
  • Psychometrics / standards*
  • Regression Analysis