The Relation of Possible Selves and Self-Concept Clarity to Generalized Anxiety Disorder

The present study investigated the role of perceived discrepancies from the ideal, ought, and feared selves, and self-concept clarity in the context of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The primary aim of the study was to examine whether these self-schematic constructs could predict the severity of worry over and above other worry-related schemas such as intolerance of uncertainty (IU), negative problem orientation (NPO), positive and negative metacognitive beliefs, and negative beliefs about emotions. Individuals with probable GAD (N = 144) were recruited from Prolific and administered self-report measures of the aforementioned constructs. All self-discrepancies and self-concept clarity were associated with worry as well as worry-related schemas; self-schematic constructs were also significantly inter-related. Only positive and negative metacognitive beliefs and self-concept clarity emerged as unique correlates of worry. These findings contribute to theoretical understandings of GAD by suggesting that self-schematic constructs, particularly self-concept clarity, may play an important role in maintaining worry.