Anxiety sensitivity and its dimensions across the anxiety disorders.
Anxiety sensitivity (AS) refers to the fear of anxiety-related sensations, which is thought to arise from beliefs about their harmful consequences. AS is a multidimensional construct that consists of fears of somatic, social, and cognitive aspects of anxiety. In the present study, we examined the relationship between AS dimensions, assessed by factor-analytically derived subscales of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-Revised (ASI-R), and anxiety-related psychopathology in a sample of 232 treatment-seeking patients with anxiety disorders. Correlational analyses and comparisons among anxiety disorder patient groups and undergraduate students revealed a specific pattern of relationships between ASI-R subscale scores and anxiety-related psychopathology. In contrast, ASI-R total scores evidenced less discriminant validity. Implications for theoretical models of anxiety and directions for future research are discussed.
Deacon
Brett
B
University of Wyoming, Department of Psychology, Dept. 3415, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie, WY 82071, USA. bdeacon@uwyo.edu
Abramowitz
Jonathan
J
D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D010551:Personality; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014481:United States