Exploring meta-worry and perceived parenting behaviors in adolescents' anxiety

This study explores how metacognitive beliefs about worry (Wells, 2005) and perceived parenting (e.g., psychological control, emotional availability and autonomy-granting) contribute to adolescents’ anxiety. Method: A sample of 191 community adolescents completed self-report questionnaires on anxiety levels (RCMAS), metacognitive beliefs about worry (MCQ-C) and maternal and paternal perceived parenting. The same procedure was replicated with a group (n = 14) of anxiety-referred adolescents. Results: Metacognitive beliefs were associated with adolescent’s reported anxiety, with girls reporting less positive beliefs and higher anxiety than boys. Anxiety-referred adolescents reported higher negative meta-worry (responsibility and harmful) and cognitive monitoring beliefs than non-clinical control. Correlations between anxiety and parenting change according to parents’ and adolescents’ gender. In regression analysis, negative meta-worry resulted the most robust predictor of anxiety, followed by low paternal emotional availability and high control for boys, and by low autonomy-granting and monitoring meta-beliefs for girls. Conclusions: Findings partially support the extension of adults’ metacognitive model of worry to adolescents. The stronger support comes from the role of negative beliefs in predicting anxiety levels. Further research with a larger clinical sample is needed for deepening how adolescent’s gender and perceived parenting interact with specific meta-beliefs increasing the risk of anxiety disorders.