ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the following three factors: worry as problem solving, worry and negative affect, and worry as verbal-linguistic – in order to highlight similarities and differences between adult and child worry. Worry has long been believed to have a problem-solving function, especially to those who engage in it regularly. Problem solving involves several stages, including identification of the problem, identification of possible solutions, choosing a solution, and enactment of the solution. Negative problem orientation, a significant factor in several models of pathological worry or generalised anxiety disorder, is another aspect of problem solving that has been studied extensively in the context of worry. The evidence for the association between negative affect and worry is extensive in adults, but much sparser in children. The verbal nature of worry has been found in several studies of adults. Research exploring the verbal nature of worry in children is much more limited.
