Anxiety sensitivity and its dimensions across the anxiety disorders

J Anxiety Disord. 2006;20(7):837-57. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2006.01.003. Epub 2006 Feb 8.

Abstract

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) refers to the fear of anxiety-related sensations, which is thought to arise from beliefs about their harmful consequences. AS is a multidimensional construct that consists of fears of somatic, social, and cognitive aspects of anxiety. In the present study, we examined the relationship between AS dimensions, assessed by factor-analytically derived subscales of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-Revised (ASI-R), and anxiety-related psychopathology in a sample of 232 treatment-seeking patients with anxiety disorders. Correlational analyses and comparisons among anxiety disorder patient groups and undergraduate students revealed a specific pattern of relationships between ASI-R subscale scores and anxiety-related psychopathology. In contrast, ASI-R total scores evidenced less discriminant validity. Implications for theoretical models of anxiety and directions for future research are discussed.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anxiety Disorders / psychology*
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Models, Psychological*
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / psychology
  • Panic Disorder / psychology
  • Personality*
  • Phobic Disorders / psychology
  • Psychological Tests*
  • Psychometrics
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • United States