Worry: a safety system that sometimes overworks

This resource introduces worry as part of the brain’s natural safety system, helping young people understand how fear, planning, and “what if” thinking developed to protect us. It is designed as a therapeutic, engaging psychoeducation activity to support formulation work, normalise worry experiences, and help young people develop a kinder, more compassionate understanding of their anxious responses.

References & Further Reading

  • Creswell, C., Waite, P., & Hudson, J. (2020). Anxiety disorders in children and young people: Assessment and treatment. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 61(4), 399–411. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13186
  • Davey, G.C.L. and Meeten, F. (2016) ‘The perseverative worry about: A review of cognitive, affective and motivational factors that contribute to worry perseveration’, Biological Psychology, 121, pp. 233–243. doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2016.04.003
  • Donovan, C.L. et al. (2017a) ‘Thinking about worry: Investigation of the cognitive components of worry in children’, Journal of Affective Disorders, 208, pp. 230–237. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2016.09.061.
  • Ewing, D. L., Monsen, J. J., Thompson, E. J., Cartwright-Hatton, S., & Field, A. (2015). A meta-analysis of transdiagnostic cognitive behavioural therapy in the treatment of child and young person anxiety disorders. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 43(5), 562–577. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1352465813001094
  • Kendall, P. C., & Peterman, J. S. (2015). CBT for adolescents with anxiety: Mature yet still developing. American Journal of Psychiatry, 172(6), 519–530. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2015.14081061
  • Kingery, J. N., Roblek, T. L., Suveg, C., Grover, R. L., Sherrill, J. T., & Bergman, R. L. (2006). They’re not just “little adults”: Developmental considerations for implementing cognitive-behavioral therapy with anxious youth. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly, 20(3), 263–273. https://doi.org/10.1891/jcop.20.3.263
  • Kishita, N., & Laidlaw, K. (2017). Cognitive behaviour therapy for generalized anxiety disorder: Is CBT equally efficacious in adults of working age and older adults? Clinical Psychology Review, 52, 124–136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2017.01.003
  • Perrin, S., Bevan, D., Payne, S., Bolton, D., & Perrin, S. (2019). GAD-specific cognitive behavioral treatment for children and adolescents: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 43, 1051–1064. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-019-10020-3
  • Watts, R., Cossar, J., & Ferreira, N. (2021). Applicability of the intolerance of uncertainty model to generalized anxiety disorder symptoms in young people. Mediterranean Journal of Clinical Psychology, 9(2).