Anxiety sensitivity in six countries.
In the present study, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-Revised (ASI-R; ) was administered to a large sample of persons (n=2786) from different cultures represented in six different countries: Canada, France, Mexico, The Netherlands, Spain, and the United States. We sought to (a) determine the factor structure and internal consistency of the ASI-R and (b) examine the correlations of the measure with psychiatric symptoms and personality dimensions in a single European non-English speaking country (The Netherlands). Partially consistent with the original hypothesis, the underlying structure of the anxiety sensitivity construct was generally similar across countries, tapping fear about the negative consequences of anxiety-related physical and social-cognitive sensations. Lower-order factors were moderately to strongly correlated with one another and showed good internal consistency. The observed lower-order ASI-R factors correlated with established psychiatric symptoms and with the personality trait of neuroticism. Partial correlations indicated that both factors are useful in accounting for variance in symptom measures. We discuss the results of this investigation in relation to the cross-cultural assessment of the anxiety sensitivity construct.
Zvolensky
Michael J
MJ
Anxiety and Health Research Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, John Dewey Hall, Burlington, VT 05405-0134, USA. m_zvolen@dewey.uvm.edu
Arrindell
Willem A
WA
Taylor
Steven
S
Bouvard
Martine
M
Cox
Brian J
BJ
Stewart
Sherry H
SH
Sandin
Bonifacio
B
Cardenas
Samuel Jurado
SJ
Eifert
Georg H
GH
D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D002170:Canada; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014481:United States