Meta-worry in adolescents: examination of the psychometric properties of the meta-worry questionnaire in an adolescent sample.

BACKGROUND

Meta-worry is considered a central component of the Metacognitive Model of Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Although initial research provides support for the applicability of this model to adolescent samples, the construct of meta-worry has yet to be examined in adolescents.

AIMS

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Meta-Worry Questionnaire (MWQ), a measure designed to assess negative beliefs about worry, in an adolescent sample, and to examine the degree to which meta-worry is associated with pathological worry in adolescents.

METHOD

A non-referred sample of 175 adolescents completed a modified version of the MWQ along with the Meta-Cognitions Questionnaire-Children (MCQ-C) and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire for Children (PSWQ-C).

RESULTS

The MWQ was found to exhibit strong psychometric properties. Most noteworthy, the MWQ was found to be a particularly robust predictor of scores on the PSWQ-C, and incremental validity was also demonstrated.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the current findings provide support for the reliability and validity of the MWQ in adolescents and support for meta-worry as a predictor of worry symptoms in adolescents.