Evaluating emotional sensitivity and tolerance factors in the prediction of panic-relevant responding to a biological challenge.
The current study investigated anxiety sensitivity, distress tolerance (Simons & Gaher, 2005), and discomfort intolerance (Schmidt, Richey, Cromer, & Buckner, 2007) in relation to panic-relevant responding (i.e., panic attack symptoms and panic-relevant cognitions) to a 10% carbon dioxide enriched air challenge. Participants were 216 adults (52.6% female; M(age)=22.4, SD=9.0). A series of hierarchical multiple regressions was conducted with covariates of negative affectivity and past year panic attack history in step one of the model, and anxiety sensitivity, discomfort intolerance, and distress tolerance entered simultaneously into step two. Results indicated that anxiety sensitivity, but not distress tolerance or discomfort intolerance, was significantly incrementally predictive of physical panic attack symptoms and cognitive panic attack symptoms. Additionally, anxiety sensitivity was significantly predictive of variance in panic attack status during the challenge. These findings emphasize the important, unique role of anxiety sensitivity in predicting risk for panic psychopathology, even when considered in the context of other theoretically relevant emotion vulnerability variables.
Kutz
Amanda
A
University of Vermont, Department of Psychology, John Dewey Hall, Burlington, VT 05405-0134, United States.
Marshall
Erin
E
Bernstein
Amit
A
Zvolensky
Michael J
MJ
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000388:Air; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010200:Panic; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D018579:Patient Selection; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012044:Regression Analysis; D056152:Respiratory Rate / Q000502:physiology; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D002245:Carbon Dioxide