Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2003 Jun;37(3):347-54.
doi: 10.1046/j.1440-1614.2003.01187.x.

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

Gemma Gladstone  1 , Gordon Parker
Affiliations
Review

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

Gemma Gladstone et al. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2003 Jun.

Abstract

Objective: To provide an overview of theory and research regarding the phenomenology and function of worry.

Method: A systematic literature search focusing on conceptualizations of worry as a cognitive activity and worry research over the last 20 years was conducted.

Results: Worry can be both functional and dysfunctional. Disruption to daily functioning, perceived uncontrollability, pervasiveness and extensive coverage of worry themes (including "remote" events and the presence of meta-worry), all have specificity to more severe and dysfunctional worry.

Conclusions: Research investigating both the relationship between worry and anxiety and the attributes of severe worriers, has brought attention to its role in fostering emotional disturbance and has clarified factors relevant to treatment.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types