Shame During Social Interactions Predicts Subsequent Generalized Anxiety Symptoms: A Daily-Diary Study

Abstract

Objectives: To explore the relationship between shame experiences and generalized anxiety symptoms, using a daily-diary design. Method: Forty undergraduate students (mean age = 22.4) completed an online survey, once a day, for eight consecutive days, retrospectively assessing the extent to which they experienced shame during a significant social interaction on a given day, and the extent to which they experienced subsequent GAD symptoms later that day. Results: Using a multilevel regression model we found, as expected, that higher day-level and person-level shame were significantly associated with more subsequent GAD symptoms. Furthermore, we found that participants who experienced more GAD symptoms during the daily-diary period were more reactive to daily changes in shame. Conclusions: Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that worrying may serve to facilitate avoidance of shame-related experiences.