The role of positive beliefs about worry in generalized anxiety disorder and its treatment

Individuals suffering from generalized anxiety disorder hold a variety of b eliefs about the possible benefits of their worrying. The present article s uggests that these beliefs emerge from both short-term and long-term experi ences with negative reinforcement of the worry process. Elements of treatme nt that target these beliefs within a general cognitive behavioral therapy approach for this disorder are briefly described, and a case transcript, ex emplifying both the relevance of positive beliefs in GAD cases and the pote ntial importance of modifying those beliefs, is presented. Copyright (C) 19 99 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.