Anxiety sensitivity and depression: mechanisms for understanding somatic complaints in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.
A study was conducted among 45 male veterans seeking inpatient treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to test whether the relationship between PTSD and somatic complaints was accounted for by depression and anxiety sensitivity. Posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity, depression symptom severity, and anxiety sensitivity were each positively and significantly related to veterans' self-reported severity of somatic complaints. Results of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that anxiety sensitivity and depression severity account for the relationship between PTSD and veterans' somatic complaints, suggesting PTSD influences somatic complaints by virtue of underlying symptoms of depression and anxiety sensitivity.
Jakupcak
Matthew
M
Seattle Division, Puget Sound Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98108, USA. matthew.jakupcak@med.va.gov
Osborne
Travis
T
Michael
Scott
S
Cook
Jessica
J
Albrizio
Peg
P
McFall
Miles
M
D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology