Health perception is a unique predictor of anxiety symptoms in non-clinical participants.
This study evaluated the role of perceived health in predicting anxiety symptoms, bodily vigilance and agoraphobic cognitions among 71 individuals (30 females; mean age 19.9 years, SD=3.1) without a psychiatric history, including non-clinical panic attacks. Results indicated that, relative to anxiety sensitivity, perceived health was a distinct construct that incrementally predicted bodily-oriented catastrophic thinking (8% of unique variance) and heart-focused anxiety (13% of unique variance). Moreover, perceived health significantly incrementally predicted anxious arousal symptoms (9% of unique variance). Results are discussed in relation to the role of perceived health as a cognitive vulnerability factor for anxiety-related problems.
Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405-0134, USA.
Andrew R
AR
Yartz
Michael J
MJ
Zvolensky
Kristin
K
Gregor
Matthew T
MT
Feldner
Ellen W
EW
Leen-Feldner
D000328:Adult; D000379:Agoraphobia / Q000523:psychology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012647:Self-Assessment; D014481:United States