title: Anxiety Sensitivity in Dermatological Patients.
abstract: Anxiety symptoms commonly occur in dermatological patients and can affect the severity of dermatological symptoms. Anxiety sensitivity (AS), defined as the fear of anxiety symptoms, is a well-supported cognitive vulnerability factor that may be particularly significant in these patients.
  
  
  
  This study compared the severity of AS between patients with psychodermatological (e.g., psoriasis) and nonpsychodermatological disorders (e.g., skin cancer). It was predicted that individuals with psychodermatological disorders would evidence significantly greater AS compared to individuals with nonpsychodermatological disorders.
  
  
  
  Adults presenting to outpatient dermatology clinics with psychodermatological (n = 63) and nonpsychodermatological (n = 52) conditions completed self-report questionnaires assessing sociodemographic characteristics, general anxiety, and AS.
  
  
  
  Individuals with psychodermatological conditions reported significantly greater AS compared to individuals with nonpsychodermatological conditions (p < 0.05). Social concerns of AS emerged as the only significant factor that differentiated these categories of dermatological diseases, odds ratio = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.02-1.24, after adjusting for general anxiety.
  
  
  
  These findings contribute to an advancing area of research linking AS and physical health problems. The results suggest that adjunctive cognitive-behavioral treatments targeting AS reductions could help patients with psychodermatological conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS. Electronic address: ljdixon@umc.edu.
authors.forename: Laura J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Dixon
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY.
authors.forename: Aaron A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Andres G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Viana
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS.
authors.forename: Nancye K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: McCowan
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS.
authors.forename: Robert T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Brodell
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS.
authors.forename: Matthew T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Tull
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: anxiety; anxiety sensitivity; dermatology; psychosomatics