We all experience worry in our daily lives to varying degrees. But what impact does this emotion have on us? When we worry, what kinds of symptoms emerge, and how does our body respond?
Worry is defined as a chain of repetitive thoughts about anticipated future threats accompanied by negative affect (Borkovec, Robinson, Pruzinsky, & DePree, 1983). I would like you to think about the last time you felt worried. What happened in your body at that moment? Did you notice nausea, a headache, or a rapid heartbeat? Worry and somatic symptoms are closely related; physical complaints such as headaches, stomachaches, muscle tension, and fatigue are commonly observed. Kumar et al. (2019) demonstrated that as levels of worry increase, somatic symptoms also increase. Moreover, factors such as bodily sensitivity, health anxiety, and alexithymia were found to strengthen this association.
The Content Of Worry and Physical Complaints
An interesting study by Pitron et al. (2024) found that individuals who experience intense worry about climate change report temperature-related physical symptoms. In other words, while these individuals experience symptoms such as shortness of breath and sleep disturbances, they do not report somatic symptoms unrelated to temperature. This study is one of the few that supports the idea that the content of worry is associated with the specific physical complaints individuals experience. The literature has not yet sufficiently explained this relationship, suggesting a notable research gap.
But what do we mean by the content of worry? Worry can be divided into self-focused worries and world-focused worries. Self-focused worries refer to concerns about oneself and one’s immediate environment, whereas world-focused worries encompass broader societal or global concerns (Boehnke et al., 1998). For instance, if a person worries about ecosystem degradation or climate change, this would be categorized as a world-focused worry. In contrast, concerns about one’s own health or personal success fall under self-focused worries.
An important nuance should be noted here: A person may worry about war in the world. However, if this concern stems from the possibility of personal harm (“What if I get hurt in the war?”), it would still be categorized as a self-focused worry. The distinction lies in whether the worry arises from harm to others or from perceived personal threat. Demographic differences are also known to influence the content of worry; for example, collectivistic cultures tend to emphasize family- and community-related worries, whereas individualistic cultures more often prioritize concerns about personal achievement and individual health.
The Effects Of Micro- and Macro-Level Worries
According to Boehnke, Schwartz, Strömberg, and Sagiv (1998), worries about oneself and one’s family (micro-level worries) may generate a stronger perception of threat and loss of control because they directly affect the individual. Consequently, these worries are more strongly associated with negative psychological outcomes. In contrast, worries about society or the world at large (macro-level worries) have generally been found to be less harmful and, in some cases, may even carry constructive or positive aspects. These types of worries do not show a strong association with poor mental health outcomes. One possible explanation is that individuals perceive less personal control over such large-scale issues, resulting in a lower level of perceived personal threat.
The Functionality Of Worry and Problem Solving
Do you think worry affects the likelihood of success? In Tallis et al. (1994), 83% of participants reported believing that worry helped them find solutions to problems in their environment. However, higher levels of worry were associated with reduced problem-solving success. According to Stewart, Chapman, and Davis (2024), low levels of worry can be functional by motivating individuals to take action and seek solutions. Similarly, Arbel et al. (2017), in their study on daily worry among adolescents, found that low levels of daily worry are not necessarily harmful; in fact, they may serve a short-term protective function.
However, high levels of worry combined with heightened physiological stress reactivity were found to predict greater physical health symptoms in young adulthood. In summary, low and non-persistent levels of worry may play a motivating and functional role by prompting individuals to take action, whereas higher and more chronic levels of worry are more likely to be associated with negative psychological and physical outcomes.
References
Arbel, R., Shapiro, L. S., Timmons, A. C., Moss, I. K., & Margolin, G. (2017). Adolescents’ daily worry, morning cortisol, and health symptoms. Journal of Adolescent Health, 60(6), 667–673. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.01.007
Boehnke, K., Schwartz, S. H., Stromberg, C., & Sagiv, L. (1998). The structure and dynamics of worry: Theory, measurement, and cross-national replications. Journal of Personality, 66(5), 745–782. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6494.00031
Borkovec, T. D., Robinson, E., Pruzinsky, T., & DePree, J. A. (1983). Preliminary exploration of worry: Some characteristics and processes. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 21(1), 9–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7967(83)90121-3
Kumar, V., Avasthi, A., & Grover, S. (2019). Correlates of worry and functional somatic symptoms in generalized anxiety disorder. Industrial Psychiatry Journal, 28(1), 29–36. https://doi.org/10.4103/ipj.ipj_31_19
Pitron, V., Lemogne, C., Clayton, S., Léger, D., Van den Bergh, O., & Witthöft, M. (2024). Climate change anxiety and its association with somatic symptom distress and idiopathic environmental intolerances: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 187, 111937. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2024.111937
Stewart, A. E., Chapman, H. E., & Davis, J. B. L. (2024). Anxiety and worry about six categories of climate change impacts. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21, 23. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21010023
Tallis, F., Eysenck, M. W., & Mathews, A. (1992). A questionnaire for the measurement of nonpathological worry. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60(1), 19–25. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.60.1.19