Role of Worry in Addiction: Implication of Metacognitive Beliefs and Type 2 Worry

• Published in: Clinical psychology and psychotherapy Vol. 31; no. 5; pp. e3048 - n/a
• Main Authors: Improvisato, Priscillia, Trouillet, Raphaël, Schuldiner, Sophie, Luquiens, Amandine, Hamonnière, Tristan, Donnadieu, Hélène, Perney, Pascal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England John Wiley and Sons, Limited 01-09-2024; Wiley
• Subjects: Addictions; Adult; alcohol use disorder; Alcoholism - psychology; Anxiety - psychology; anxiety thoughts inventory; Behavior, Addictive - psychology; Drug addiction; eating addiction; Female; Food Addiction - psychology; Human health and pathology; Humans; Hypotheses; Impulsive behavior; Life Sciences; Male; Metacognition; metacognitive beliefs; Middle Aged; Neurons and Cognition; Psychiatrics and mental health; Psychology and behavior; Surveys and Questionnaires; type‐1 worry; type‐2 worry; Worry; alcohol use disorder; type‐1 worry; eating addiction; metacognitive beliefs; anxiety thoughts inventory; type‐2 worry; type-2 worry; type-1 worry; alcohol use disorder anxiety thoughts inventory eating addiction metacognitive beliefs type-1 worry type-2 worry
• ISSN: 1063-3995; 1099-0879; 1099-0879
• DOI: 10.1002/cpp.3048

ABSTRACT
Introduction
According to the self‐medication hypothesis, worriers use substances to cope with their symptoms; however, some published results have challenged this hypothesis. The aim of this study is to show if worry increases the risk of SUD when it is negatively appraised by negative metacognitive beliefs.
Method
We recruited three samples: 68 patients with a severe AUD, 27 patients dependent on eating and 42 control participants. We used the Yale Food Addiction Scale‐2, the Metacognitions Questionnaire‐65, the UPPS‐P Impulsive Behaviour Scale and the Anxiety Thoughts Inventory.
Results
We confirmed a direct effect of worries and metaworry on alcohol (AUD) and eating addiction (EA), but our multivariate analyses revealed that metacognitive beliefs and metaworry are the most robust predictors of alcohol and eating addiction.
Discussion
We reported substance‐related differences in the relationship between worry and addiction. AUD is related to the metacognitive activity set in motion by worries while EA is associated with a maladaptive form of worry (meta‐worry) where worries are negatively interpreted.