An examination of worry and self-distancing as coping strategies for anxiety-provoking experiences in individuals high in worry

ABSTRACT

Objectives

This preliminary online study investigated the short-term effects of self-distancing, worry, and distraction on anxiety and worry-related appraisals among individuals high in worry.

Design and Methods

N = 104 community members high in trait worry were randomly assigned to think about a personally identified worry-provoking situation using self-distancing (SC), worry (WC), or distraction (DC). Participants rated their anxiety (Visual Analogue Scale for Anxiety) and appraisals of the situation (Perceived Probability, Coping, and Cost Questions) at post-task and one-day follow-up.

Results

Mixed factorial ANOVAs revealed an increase in anxiety within the WC (d = .475) and no difference in anxiety within the SC (d = .010) from pre- to post-task. There was no difference in anxiety within the DC (p = .177). Participants within the SC reported a decrease in the perceived cost associated with their identified situation from pre- to post-task (d = .424), which was maintained at one-day follow-up (d = .034). Participants reported an increase in perceived ability to cope from post-task to one-day follow-up (d = .236), and from pre-task to one-day follow-up (d = .338), regardless of condition.

Conclusions

Self-distancing may prevent increases in anxiety and catastrophizing while reflecting on a feared situation.

KEYWORDS:

• worry
• anxiety
• self-distancing
• coping
• appraisal

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, N.K., upon reasonable request.

Notes

1 A sensitivity power analysis conducted using PANGEA: Power Analysis for General ANOVA Designs V0.2 (Westfall, 2016) indicated that this study was powered (.80, α = .05) to detect a Condition x Time interaction effect of d = .56. However, the study was not sufficiently powered to detect the simple effects outlined by the interactions, particularly following Bonferroni post-hoc correction.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).