Definition
Worry is defined as “a chain of thoughts and images, negatively affect-laden and relatively uncontrollable. The worry process represents an attempt to engage in mental problem-solving on an issue whose outcome is uncertain but contains the possibility of one or more negative outcomes. Consequently, worry relates closely to fear process” (Borkovec, Robinson, Pruzinsky, & DePree, 1983). Worry can impact health in several ways. First, it is a form of the so-called perseverative cognition (see term), which is defined as “the ongoing cognitive representation of psychological stressors (threat)” (Brosschot, Gerin, & Thayer, 2006). Perseverative cognition is believed to be responsible for a large part of the health impact of psychological stressors, because it prolongs the physiological responses to these stressors. Second, disease-specific worry can lead to maladaptive outcomes in the long or...
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References and Readings
Borkovec, T. D., Robinson, E., Pruzinsky, T., & DePree, J. A. (1983). Preliminary exploration of worry: Some characteristics and processes. Behavioral Research Therapy, 21, 9–16.
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Brosschot, J.F., Verkuil, B. (2013). Worry. In: Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_855
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_855
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