Difficulty concentrating in generalized anxiety disorder: An evaluation of incremental utility and relationship to worry

Hallion, Lauren S.; Steinman, Shari A.; Kusmierski, Susan N.

doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2017.10.007

Cited by 42 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…marked difficulty concentrating that characterizes GAD and similar disorders (Hallion et al, 2018). Theoretical models grounded in contemporary cognitive neuroscience and metacognition, along with larger samples and better-validated tasks, are needed to address this important clinical problem.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Worry alters speed-accuracy tradeoffs but does not impair sustained attention

Hallion

Kusmierski

Caulfield

2020

Behaviour Research and Therapy

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Worry has been experimentally linked to a range of cognitive consequences, including impairments in working memory, inhibition, and cognitive control. However, findings are mixed, and the effects of worry on other phenomenologically-relevant constructs, such as sustained attention, have received less attention. Potential confounds such as speed-accuracy tradeoffs have also received little attention, as have psychometric and related design considerations, and potential moderators beyond trait worry. The present study investigated the effects of experimentally-induced worry versus a neutral control condition on speed-accuracy tradeoffcorrected performance on a validated measure of sustained attention (88 participants; withinsubjects). Moderation by trait worry and trait mindfulness was probed in confirmatory and exploratory analyses, respectively. Worry led to faster and less accurate responding relative to the neutral comparison condition. There was no main effect of condition or trait worry on sustained attention after accounting for speed-accuracy tradeoffs. In exploratory analyses, higher trait mindfulness was robustly related to better post-worry performance, including after controlling for trait worry, general distress, and post-neutral performance, and correction for multiple comparisons. Follow-up analyses exploring dissociable mindfulness facets found a robust relationship between present-moment attention and post-worry performance. Future research should experimentally manipulate mindfulness facets to probe causality and inform treatment development.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Worry alters speed-accuracy tradeoffs but does not impair sustained attention

Hallion

Kusmierski

Caulfield

2020

Behaviour Research and Therapy

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“…This "stuckness" is a significant clinical problem in that it interferes with attention and concentration (Armstrong, Zald, & Olatunji, 2011;Beckwé et al, 2014), which in turn is associated with increased distress and functional impairment (Hallion, Steinman, & Kusmierski, 2018). Perhaps as a result, interventions that emphasize present-moment attention, such as mindfulness-based interventions, have generated considerable enthusiasm as a potential intervention strategy for reducing perseverative thought (e.g., Gu et al, 2015).…”

Section: Facets Of Mindfulness and Ptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dissociable Associations of Facets of Mindfulness with Worry, Rumination, and Transdiagnostic Perseverative Thought

Thompson¹,

Jamal-Orozco²,

Ls³

2019

Preprint

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Perseverative thought (PT) is a major mechanism of anxiety and related forms of psychopathology. Although mindfulness-based interventions show promise for reducing PT, treatment development is hindered by an incomplete understanding of the relationships between dissociable facets of mindfulness (present-moment awareness; nonjudgment of experience; nonreactivity to experience) and those of PT (worry; rumination; shared perseverative tendencies). The present study tested and replicated hypothesized relationships between facets of PT and mindfulness in three well-powered, independent samples (N = 289 undergraduate; N = 255 crowdsourced; N = 261 anxious/depressed community). Consistent with predictions, greater present-moment awareness incrementally predicted lower transdiagnostic PT, as did nonjudgment and nonreactivity. Nonreactivity was specifically inversely related to trait worry (i.e., beyond variance shared with transdiagnostic PT, rumination, and other mindfulness facets), while nonjudgment was specifically related to rumination (brooding). Findings replicated across all samples. In two samples, greater present-moment awareness unexpectedly predicted higher worry when other facets were controlled. Taken together, findings establish and replicate a link between present-moment awareness to general perseverative tendencies, with specific inverse relationships of nonreactivity and nonjudgment to worry and rumination, respectively. Future experimental research should test hypothesized causal pathways to inform theoretical models and development of transdiagnostic and personalized treatments.

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“…It may differ from the final published version. marked difficulty concentrating that characterizes GAD and similar disorders (Hallion et al, 2018). Theoretical models grounded in contemporary cognitive neuroscience and metacognition, along with larger samples and better-validated tasks, are needed to address this important clinical problem.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Worry alters speed-accuracy tradeoffs but does not impair sustained attention

Hallion¹,

Kusmierski²,

Caulfield³

2019

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Worry has been experimentally linked to a range of cognitive consequences, including impairments in working memory, inhibition, and cognitive control. However, findings are mixed, and the effects of worry on other phenomenologically-relevant constructs, such as sustained attention, have received less attention. Potential confounds such as speed-accuracy tradeoffs have also received little attention, as have psychometric and related design considerations, and potential moderators beyond trait worry. The present study investigated the effects of experimentally-induced worry versus a neutral control condition on speed-accuracy tradeoff-corrected performance on a validated measure of sustained attention (88 participants; within-subjects). Moderation by trait worry and trait mindfulness was probed in confirmatory and exploratory analyses, respectively. Worry led to faster and less accurate responding relative to the neutral comparison condition. There was no main effect of condition or trait worry on sustained attention after accounting for speed-accuracy tradeoffs. In exploratory analyses, higher trait mindfulness was robustly related to better post-worry performance, including after controlling for trait worry, general distress, and post-neutral performance, and correction for multiple comparisons. Follow-up analyses exploring dissociable mindfulness facets found a robust relationship between present-moment attention and post-worry performance. Future research should experimentally manipulate mindfulness facets to probe causality and inform treatment development.

show abstract

Difficulty concentrating in generalized anxiety disorder: An evaluation of incremental utility and relationship to worry

Cited by 42 publications

References 50 publications

Worry alters speed-accuracy tradeoffs but does not impair sustained attention

Worry alters speed-accuracy tradeoffs but does not impair sustained attention

Dissociable Associations of Facets of Mindfulness with Worry, Rumination, and Transdiagnostic Perseverative Thought

Worry alters speed-accuracy tradeoffs but does not impair sustained attention

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