title: The association between anxiety sensitivity and atopy in adult asthmatics.
abstract: There is growing evidence linking psychological stress to atopic disease, particularly asthma. Anxiety sensitivity, which is the fear of anxiety-related symptoms, may be particularly important in the study of anxiety and atopic disease. The present study examined the association between atopy and anxiety sensitivity in adult asthmatics. A total of 217 asthma patients who had undergone standard pulmonary function and allergen skin prick testing were included. Participants completed the Anxiety Sensitivity Index, Penn State Worry Questionnaire, Type D Personality Scale-16 and Beck Depression Inventory-II on the day of their asthma clinic visit. Total Anxiety Sensitivity Index score was found to be significantly higher in atopic (M = 17.15, SE = .9) versus non-atopic (M = 12.68, SE = 1.5) asthmatics, independent of age, sex, smoking status, asthma severity, asthma duration, and anxiolytic medication use (F = 6.11, p = .014). There was no evidence for a significant association between any of the other questionnaire scores and atopic status.
authors.affiliation: Research Center, Division of Chest Medicine, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal - A University of Montreal-Affiliated Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barone
authors.forename: Simon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Bacon
authors.forename: Tavis S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Manon
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Labrecque
authors.forename: Blaine
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ditto
authors.forename: Kim L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Lavoie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D001143:Arousal; D001249:Asthma / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D055809:Illness Behavior; D007428:Intradermal Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications; D014797:Vital Capacity