Coping with anxiety and panic: a factor analytic study.
This study aimed to explore the coping styles that agoraphobia sufferers adopt when attempting to cope with symptoms of anxiety and panic. It aimed to extend Watts's (1989) Coping with Anxiety Questionnaire (CAQ) by including items to assess self-vigilance. It was hypothesized that agoraphobia sufferers would adopt consistent coping styles that would be related to symptom severity.



A factor analysis was performed on questionnaire data.



A postal questionnaire was completed by members (N = 112) of a self-help group for agoraphobia and panic sufferers. All participants completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory, an Agoraphobia Severity Scale and a slightly modified version of the CAQ. Coping styles were identified via factor analysis of the CAQ items.



Three coping styles were identified, which were labelled Effective Coping, Avoidant Coping and Self-vigilance. The latter two coping styles were found to be correlated with increased levels of agoraphobic symptomatology and with higher levels of anxiety.



The present results support the previous research on coping tactics in anxiety and are compatible with cognitive therapy accounts of the role of self-vigilance in anxiety disorders.
Hughes
I
I
Department of Clinical Psychology, Cardiff Community Healthcare NHS Trust, UK.
Budd
R
R
Greenaway
S
S
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000145:classification*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000379:Agoraphobia / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D001288:Attention; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004924:Escape Reaction; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007439:Introversion, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014836:Volition