Final answer:
Tom Borkovec's theory suggests that worry is an avoidance strategy to reduce anxiety symptoms, which over time becomes maladaptive and perpetuates anxiety in GAD.
Step-by-step explanation:
Tom Borkovec's theory of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) posits that worry is a cognitive avoidance response that serves to reduce unpleasant somatic sensations associated with anxiety by keeping individuals in a state of mental problem-solving. According to this theory, worry functions as a mental strategy to avoid confronting deeper emotional issues and prevents engagement with more distressing physical anxiety symptoms. Over time, worry becomes a maladaptive coping mechanism that perpetuates the state of anxiety.