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A study published in Frontiers in Evolutionary Neuroscience has shown a possible connection between worrying and intelligence. Jeremy Coplan, Psychiatrist Professor of SUNY Downstate Medical Centre, along with his colleagues, observed the brain activity of twenty-six patients suffering from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Eighteen healthy volunteers served as the control group.

High IQ was found to be associated with a greater degree of worry in the GAD group. In both groups, IQ and worry were significantly correlated. However, in the healthy control group, the correlation was negative, while in the GAD group it was positive.

Studies conducted in the past have shown that excessive worry is more characteristic of people with both higher and lower intelligence rather than those of moderate intelligence. It has also been suggested that worrying can mitigate the effects of depression.