Abstract
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) exhibit high comorbidity. Possible explanations for this comorbidity include symptom overlap and shared risk factors. Repetitive negative thinking, distress intolerance, and emotion-related impulsivity are three factors implicated in the onset and maintenance of each disorder, but it is largely unknown how these factors relate to individual symptoms of each disorder and if these factors act as bridges across diagnostic boundaries. This study used network analysis to examine relationships among GAD, MDD, and OCD symptoms and shared risk factors in a non-selected sample of 1,799 young adults. Subnetworks were estimated and compared between participants with and without clinically elevated symptoms. GAD, MDD, and OCD symptoms generally clustered within diagnostic categories but exhibited myriad connections across diagnostic clusters. Repetitive negative thinking acted as a bridge between diagnostic boundaries. Distress intolerance and emotion-related impulsivity were more influential in the symptom network of participants with clinically elevated symptoms compared to that of participants without clinically elevated symptoms. Shared risk factors-including repetitive negative thinking, distress intolerance, and emotion-related impulsivity-appear to confer simultaneous and differential risk for symptoms of GAD, MDD, and OCD. Findings can inform etiological research and intervention design for anxiety, mood, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.