Anxiety sensitivity and aspects of alexithymia are independently and uniquely associated with posttraumatic distress.
Using a sample of adult survivors of physical trauma requiring hospitalization (N = 677), we examined the relationship of aspects of alexithymia and anxiety sensitivity to symptoms of posttraumatic distress (PTD). At the bivariate level, both aspects of alexithymia and anxiety sensitivity were positively associated with acute PTD symptomatology, but anxiety sensitivity was more strongly related to PTD symptoms. At the multivariate level, both anxiety sensitivity and aspects of alexithymia made unique and independent contributions to both total PTD symptoms and the majority of PTD symptom clusters. At the facet level, anxiety sensitivity-physical concerns and anxiety sensitivity-psychological concerns, and the alexithymic dimension of difficulty identifying feelings, were uniquely associated with acute PTD symptoms. Findings are discussed in terms of potential clinical implications.
Zahradnik
Marc
M
Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. mzahradn@dal.ca
Stewart
Sherry H
SH
Marshall
Grant N
GN
Schell
Terry L
TL
Jaycox
Lisa H
LH
D000293:Adolescent; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000209:etiology*; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology*; D002140:California; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult