An interpretative phenomenological exploration of the lived experiences of worry

Worry is a common phenomenon in daily life that is experienced by the majority of individuals to some degree. However, researchers have tended to focus on the extremes of worry and delineating normal worry from the pathological worry associated with Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD). This has created a binary understanding of worry, that overlooks those not fitting a clinical profile who experience worry as a prominent feature of their daily life. This research addresses this gap by exploring the lived experience of six worriers without a clinical profile of worry. Participants were recruited from the general population and attended a semi-structured interview to explore their understanding and meaning-making process in relation to worry. Interview data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Three subordinate themes were identified; Worry and self relates to how worry was experienced as a core part of the individual but also separate. Types of worry highlight how participants experienced different types of worry which they described in binary ways (e.g. productive/ counterproductive). The final theme, Social worry encapsulates how participants experienced worry related to the perceived pressures of fitting into a social world, and how they experienced worry and fears related to becoming an outcast from their social group. Beliefs that worry protected them from social exclusion were prominent. In addition, some identified how worry prevented them from acting authentically. Collectively, the study sheds new light on worriers' experience of worry and suggests that worry is multifaceted and centres around complex interactions and interplays between their personal inner world and perceived social world. Themes are explored in detail and discussed in the context of the relevant literature. Limitations of the study are considered, and recommendations are advanced for future research. Finally, the implications of the findings of this study for Counselling Psychology (CoP) are discussed.