Anxiety Sensitivity and Its Factors in Relation to Generalized Anxiety Disorder among Adolescents.
Anxiety psychopathology, one of the most prevalent classes of disorder among youth, is linked to detrimental outcomes. Accordingly, identifying factors that influence vulnerability to anxiety disorders is important. One promising factor, given emerging evidence for its transdiagnostic nature, is anxiety sensitivity (AS); however, relatively little is known about the linkage between AS and indicators of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), particularly among youth. The aim of the current investigation was to address this gap in the literature using a community-based sample of adolescents aged 10-17 years (n = 165; M age  = 14.49 years, SD = 2.26). Results indicated global AS and the AS-physical concerns dimension were significantly associated with worry, generalized anxiety symptoms, and GAD diagnosis assessed via a structured clinical interview, above and beyond key theoretically-relevant covariates. These findings add to a growing body of work underscoring the relevance of AS for multiple types of anxiety-related disorders among youth.
Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, 216 Memorial Hall, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA. aaknapp@uark.edu.
Ashley A
AA
Knapp
Department of Psychology, University of North Texas, 155 Union Circle #311280, Denton, TX, 76203, USA.
Heidemarie
H
Blumenthal
Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, 216 Memorial Hall, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA.
Emily R
ER
Mischel
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 67 President Street, MSC 861, 2nd Fl. IOP South Building, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.|Department of Psychiatry, Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, 109 Bee St, Charleston, SC, 29401, USA.
Christal L
CL
Badour
Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, 216 Memorial Hall, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA.
Ellen W
EW
Leen-Feldner
D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
Adolescents; Anxiety sensitivity; Generalized anxiety disorder; Worry