title: Structure of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index psychometrics and factor structure in a community sample.
abstract: Converging evidence suggests that anxiety sensitivity (i.e., threatening beliefs regarding autonomic arousal) is a risk factor for anxiety pathology. Specification of premorbid risk factors requires exclusion of individuals with a history of spontaneous panic to ensure that anxiety sensitivity is not merely a consequence or concomitant of the experience of panic. However, the psychometrics and dimensional nature of anxiety sensitivity in such a sample is undetermined. The present study evaluated the factor structure of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), a measure of anxiety sensitivity, in a community sample (N = 233) with no history of psychiatric illness or spontaneous panic. Exploratory factor analyses (EFA) suggested a two- or three-factor solution (1, Fear of Mental Catastrophe; II, Fear of Cardiopulmonary Sensations; III, Fear of Vasovagal Sensations). Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) comparing alternative models indicated that a hierarchical two-factor solution (I, Fear of Mental Catastrophe; II, Fear of Cardiopulmonary Sensations) best accounted for the data. This model generalized well to a nonclinical college sample (N = 809).
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus 43210, USA. schmidt.283@osu.edu
authors.forename: Norman B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Joiner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D004219:District of Columbia; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015206:Southwestern United States