Anxiety Sensitivity: Theory, Research, and Treatment of the Fear of Anxiety
Abstract
Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is the fear of anxiety sensations which arises from beliefs that these sensations have harmful somatic, social, or psychological consequences. Over the past decade, AS has attracted a great deal of attention from researchers and clinicians with more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles published. In addition, AS has been the subject of numerous symposia, papers, and posters at professional conventions.© 1999 by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Why this growing interest? Theory and research suggest that AS plays an important role in the etiology and maintenance of many forms of psychopathology, including anxiety disorders, depression, chronic pain, and substance abuse. Bringing together experts from a variety of different areas, this volume offers the first comprehensive state-of-the-art review of AS--its conceptual foundations, assessment, causes, consequences, and treatment--and points new directions for future work. It will prove to be an invaluable resource for clinicians, researchers, students, and trainees in all mental health professions. © 1999 by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. All rights reserved.
... A growing body of evidence implicates anxiety sensitivity as a risk factor for panic. Anxiety sensitivity refers to beliefs that anxiety-related sensations (such as heartbeat awareness, increased heart rate, trembling, shortness of breath) have severe negative social, psychological, and/or physical consequences (Reiss, 1991;Taylor, 1999). Research indicates that anxiety sensitivity prospectively predicts the development of panic attacks (Maller & Reiss, 1992) and that anxiety sensitivity predicts panic beyond that predicted by trait anxiety in adult samples (e.g., Schmidt, Lerew, & Jackson, 1997, 1999. ...
... Anxiety sensitivity refers to beliefs that anxiety-related sensations (such as heartbeat awareness, increased heart rate, trembling, shortness of breath) have severe negative social, psychological, and/or physical consequences (Reiss, 1991;Taylor, 1999). Research indicates that anxiety sensitivity prospectively predicts the development of panic attacks (Maller & Reiss, 1992) and that anxiety sensitivity predicts panic beyond that predicted by trait anxiety in adult samples (e.g., Schmidt, Lerew, & Jackson, 1997, 1999. Research on anxiety sensitivity in childhood (e.g., Silverman, Fleisig, Rabian, & Peterson, 1991;Weems, Hammond-Laurence, Silverman, & Ginsburg, 1998) and its relation to panic in youth is also emerging (e.g., Kearney, Albano, Eisen, Allan, & Barlow, 1997;Lau, Calamari, Waraczynski, 1996). ...
... Results indicated that anxiety sensitivity, assessed with the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI; Peterson & Reiss, 1987), predicted the onset of panic attacks during the course of the study period. Given the accumulating evidence for a role of anxiety sensitivity in the etiology of panic, it is important to better understand the developmental phenomenology of anxiety sensitivity (see Taylor, 1999). ...
This investigation sought to expand existing knowledge of anxiety sensitivity in a sample of high school students (N = 2,365) assessed over 4 years. The stability of anxiety sensitivity levels across assessment periods was examined, and cluster analyses were used to identify different developmental pathways in levels of anxiety sensitivity. Groups of adolescents with stable low, stable high, and escalating anxiety sensitivity levels were identified. Adolescents with stable high or escalating anxiety sensitivity were significantly more likely to report experiencing a panic attack than individuals with stable low anxiety sensitivity. Results also indicated that Asian and Hispanic adolescents tended to report higher anxiety sensitivity but that their anxiety sensitivity was less strongly associated with panic than that of Caucasian adolescents.
... Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is another preexisting individual vulnerability that can intensify emotional reactions to upsetting material (Taylor, 2014). AS is a trait-like tendency to fear arousal-related sensations, due to beliefs about the harmful consequences of anxiety (Reiss & McNally, 1985). ...
... AS is a trait-like tendency to fear arousal-related sensations, due to beliefs about the harmful consequences of anxiety (Reiss & McNally, 1985). It is a well-established predictor of anxiety and trauma-related symptoms (Kashdan et al., 2008;Marshall et al., 2010), and is thought to act as an amplifying factor, increasing both the experienced aversiveness of uncomfortable emotional experiences and the desire to avoid them (Taylor, 2014;Zvolensky et al., 2018). AS increases sensitivity and reactivity to both aversive internal stimuli (e.g., arousal-related physical reactions) and anxiety-inducing external stimuli (Hunt et al., 2006;Zvolensky & Forsyth, 2002). ...
During the preparation of this work, the authors used ChatGPT 3.5 in order to help condense content written by the second author as part of their master's thesis. After using this tool/service, the authors reviewed and edited the content as needed and take full responsibility for the content of the publication. All procedures were performed in compliance with relevant laws and institutional guidelines and have been approved by the appropriate institutional committee(s) (Ref. Number: 22-080-H, dated 25/10/2021; Ref. Number: REB-21-56, dated 5/11/2021). Informed consent was obtained for experimentation with human subjects and privacy rights of human subjects were observed. Portions of this article are based on a master's thesis and were presented at the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (2023). A growing body of research suggests that trigger warnings do not actually reduce distress in those viewing emotionally provocative stimuli and may at times even worsen it. However, little is known regarding the potential benefits of modifying trigger-warning language so that it employs therapeutically consistent messaging to encourage adaptive coping. The current study explored whether a modified trigger warning might be more effective than a traditional trigger warning in reducing participants' negative affect (NA) when exposed to distressing content. University students (N = 606) participated in an online study and were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: traditional trigger warning, modified trigger warning, or a no-warning control group. NA was measured before and after display of two emotionally provocative stimuli (one article and one video). Anxiety sensitivity (AS) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) were also measured to assess whether these preexisting individual vulnerabilities might moderate participants' responses to the different messages. Although the carefully pilot-tested stimuli were successful in increasing NA, there was no significant effect of trigger-warning condition, despite ample statistical power. AS and PTSS were associated with higher overall levels of NA but did not interact with study condition. These results add to the growing body of literature suggesting trigger warnings (whether traditional or modified) do not succeed in their goal of reducing the distress elicited by emotionally provocative content, including among vulnerable individuals. Alternative approaches to traditional trigger warnings are considered that may help individuals cope adaptively with potentially distressing material.
... Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is another preexisting individual vulnerability that can intensify emotional reactions to upsetting material (Taylor, 2014). AS is a trait-like tendency to fear arousal-related sensations, due to beliefs about the harmful consequences of anxiety (Reiss & McNally, 1985). ...
... AS is a trait-like tendency to fear arousal-related sensations, due to beliefs about the harmful consequences of anxiety (Reiss & McNally, 1985). It is a well-established predictor of anxiety and trauma-related symptoms (Kashdan et al., 2008;Marshall et al., 2010), and is thought to act as an amplifying factor, increasing both the experienced aversiveness of uncomfortable emotional experiences and the desire to avoid them (Taylor, 2014;Zvolensky et al., 2018). AS increases sensitivity and reactivity to both aversive internal stimuli (e.g., arousal-related physical reactions) and anxiety-inducing external stimuli (Hunt et al., 2006;Zvolensky & Forsyth, 2002). ...
... Contemporary psychological research has advanced similar ideas. Excessive identification with fear and anxiety, and negative self-referential evaluation of fear and anxiety are implicated in the development and maintenance of anxiety psychopathology (anxiety sensitivity; Bernstein & Zvolensky, 2007;Taylor et al., 1992;Taylor, 1999). In turn, the capacity to relate to unpleasant thoughts and other internal states without self-referentiality in mindfulness practice (e.g., "this is just a thought/ feeling" vs. "I think that. . ...
... In the first study of the SES-IAT, they focused on one variant of this method designed to measure ESRP and ESLP of fearthe fear SES-IAT. Fear was selected due to its importance in multiple forms of maladaptation and psychopathology (Barlow, 2004;Olatunji & Wolitzky-Taylor, 2009;Taylor, 1999) and because fear is relatively well understood and may be experimentally elicited with sufficient and reliable intensity (Gross & Levenson, 1995;Kreibig et al., 2007). The fear SES-IAT included an experimental fear elicitation via short frightening videos played before SC-IAT test blocks and scary background audio played during SC-IAT test blocks ( Fig. 2; see "Experimental Fear Elicitation" subsection below for more details). ...
... Consequently, individuals with excessive anxiety sensitivity fear their anxious responses to anxiety-provoking stimuli, not the actual stimuli themselves. Anxiety sensitivity is associated with the use of cognitive or behavioral strategies to evade negative emotions (29). It is thought that anxiety sensitivity exacerbates pre-existing anxiety and is distinct from trait anxiety and negative emotion (30). ...
... These methods provide temporary relief, but ultimately reinforce problematic behavior (29,31). There is also evidence suggesting that anxiety sensitivity may contribute to eating disorders such as binge eating (32). ...
Background
Disordered eating refers to a range of unhealthy eating behaviors and related clinical symptoms that can impair daily functioning and lead to physical and psychological issues. This highlights the need to explore the complex pathology of this phenomenon. Emotional functioning difficulties are often linked to disordered eating behaviors. This study investigated the predictive ability of three transdiagnostic emotion regulation constructs (distress tolerance, anxiety sensitivity, and experiential avoidance) in relation to disordered eating in a non-clinical population.
Methods
A total of 253 undergraduate students from Tehran universities were selected using a convenience sampling method and completed the Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26), Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS), Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI-3), and Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II). The research data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression.
Results
The findings revealed significant relationships between disordered eating and distress tolerance, anxiety sensitivity, and experiential avoidance. The regression analysis indicated that these variables collectively accounted for 53% of the variance in disordered eating, with distress tolerance having the most significant explanatory role.
Conclusions
Our results demonstrated that transdiagnostic constructs such as distress tolerance, anxiety sensitivity, and experiential avoidance can significantly predict disordered eating. This knowledge may be valuable in the development of preventive and therapeutic transdiagnostic protocols for individuals displaying disordered eating symptoms and behaviors or those at risk of developing clinical eating disorders.
... Psychological problem such as anxiety and depression affects a life of million people in the world. It has relationship with death increase and health service expenses [6] . Anxiety is characterized as a strongly negative emotion with an element of fear, such as cognitive, neurobiological and behavioral manifestation. ...
... Regular exercising strengthens the body and effects on feelings so life stress taken positively and bearded easily. Taylor S. (2005) [6] showed that young athletes who wore thinking, they will lose and more anxious than others. The result of Lantz C. D. et al., (2007) [29] researchers indicated that those who exercise enough have less anxious. ...
... Psychological problem such as anxiety and depression affects a life of million people in the world. It has relationship with death increase and health service expenses [6] . Anxiety is characterized as a strongly negative emotion with an element of fear, such as cognitive, neurobiological and behavioral manifestation. ...
... Regular exercising strengthens the body and effects on feelings so life stress taken positively and bearded easily. Taylor S. (2005) [6] showed that young athletes who wore thinking, they will lose and more anxious than others. The result of Lantz C. D. et al., (2007) [29] researchers indicated that those who exercise enough have less anxious. ...
... On the other hand, there are studies that show that most adolescents show satisfaction with relevant aspects of their lives [38]; however, these studies are not conclusive, because life satisfaction is influenced and shaped by other important variables, such as age, gender, and geographic location [39]. The difference with respect to sex is notorious, because men show a higher level of satisfaction than women [40]. Men express greater satisfaction with their personal attributes and achievements in their work and family life, while women show greater satisfaction with their personal relationships. ...
... In the present study, no significant differences were observed in the variables studied according to sex. In the case of the life satisfaction variable, this contrasts with research in which significant differences have been found, with men having greater satisfaction with their lives [40]. Interpretatively, it could be presumed that the growing affectation of the mental health of the student population could be reaching a level where personal discomfort has been homogenized and with it also, in the opposite way, well-being. ...
The growing problem of mental health in the university population, as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, has generated the need to consider positive variables to address this situation. Life satisfaction and academic engagement are two constructs that emerge as conceptual tools oriented in this direction. The present study sought to describe the effect of academic engagement on life satisfaction in a sample of Chilean university students. A cross-sectional co-relational design was used. A total of 370 university students participated, 72.4% female and 27.6% male, aged beitive effect of engagement on life satisfaction was demonstrated, where the dimensions vigor (β = 0.462; p < 0.01) and dedication (β = 0.465; p < 0.01) acted as significant predictors (χ2 = 87.077, gl = 32, p < 0.01; χ2/gl = 2.721; CFI = 975; TLI = 0.964; RMSEA = 0.068). The proposed model showed factorial invariance according to sex. The usefulness of employing these constructs as a way to manage the well-being and mental health of students in university institutions is discussed.
... Sehingga seseorang yang pernah mengalami putus cinta terkadang akan mengalami kondisi kecemasan dalam memilih pasangan hidup. Taylor (1998) mengemukakan bahwa kecemasan adalah suatu pengalaman subjektif mengenai ketegangan mental yang menggelisahkan sebagai reaksi umum dan ketidakmampuan menghadapi masalah atau tidak adanya rasa aman. Perasaan yang tidak menyenangkan ini umumnya menimbulkan gejala-gejala fisiologis (seperti gemetar, berkeringat, detak jantung meningkat, dan lain-lain) dan gejala-gejala psikologis (seperti panik, tegang, bingung, tak dapat berkonsentrasi, dan sebagainya). ...
Pada fase dewasa awal, individu akan dihadapkan dengan berbagai masalah baik dalam kemandirian, menentukan pilihan yang akan dijalani, serta memilih pasangan hidup. Dalam memilih pasangan hidup Perempuan dewasa awal akan diberatkan dengan berbagai macam pilihan sehingga menimbulkan kecemasan pada diri individu yang dipengaruhi oleh harga diri.Tujuan penelitian ini yaitu untuk mencari tahu hubungan antara harga diri dengan kecemasan dalam memilih pasangan hidup pada perempuan dewasa awal yang pernah mengalami putus cinta. Responden dalam penelitian ini adalah perempuan dewasa awal berusia 18-40 tahun yang belum menikah dan pernah mengalami putus cinta (N = 123). Teknik pengumpulan data pada penelitian ini menggunakan skala harga diri dan kecemasan. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa besarnya nilai signifikan p = 0,000 (p>0,05) dan nilai koefisien korelasi sebesar r = -0,298. Dengan demikian terdapat hubungan negatif antara harga diri dengan kecemasan. Implikasi dalam penelitian ini adalah untuk mengurangi kecemasan perempuan dewasa awal dalam memilih pasangan hidup serta meningkatkan harga diri.
... • df: Derajat kebebasan untuk uji heterogenitas. (Taylor, 2014). Sehingga persepsi efek samping yang lebih berat dari pengobatan ini dapat menurunkan motivasi pasien untuk mematuhi rejimen pengobatan kanker payudara; ...
Anxiety is a psychological factor commonly experienced by breast cancer patients and can influence medication adherence. This study aims to analyze the impact of anxiety on medication adherence among breast cancer patients through a meta-analysis of published studies. A systematic search was conducted across electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO, to identify relevant studies published in the last five years. Inclusion criteria encompassed observational and experimental studies measuring anxiety levels and medication adherence in breast cancer patients. A meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model to compute the effect size. The analysis revealed a significant negative relationship between anxiety levels and adherence to breast cancer treatment (r = -0.38, 95% CI: -0.45 to -0.31, p < 0.001). These findings indicate that patients with higher levels of anxiety are likely to have lower adherence to breast cancer treatment. Consequently, the findings underscore the importance of psychological interventions in reducing patient anxiety and improving medication adherence in breast cancer patients. Finally, the study highlights the need for clinical implications and future research recommendations. The results reinforce the necessity for further research and development in improving treatment outcomes and quality of life for breast cancer patients in the future.
... Hopelessness, characterized by a pessimistic outlook and feelings of despair, can be conceptualized as depression-proneness (Joiner et al., 2001;Woicik et al., 2009). Anxiety sensitivity refers to the belief that anxiety-related bodily sensations will have negative consequences, such as physical illness or social embarrassment (Taylor, 2014;Woicik et al., 2009). Impulsivity involves acting on behavioural impulses with a lack of forethought (Harden & Tucker-Drob, 2011) and reflects deficits in behavioural response inhibition (Woicik et al., 2009). ...
Bullying is a form of interpersonal aggression that is associated with mental health and substance use problems. Certain personality traits are risk factors for both bullying involvement (i.e., bullying perpetration and/or victimization), and psychopathology, particularly among adolescents. However, little is known about whether these associations between bullying involvement, personality vulnerability, and psychopathology persist into emerging adulthood. This study examined how bullying involvement and maladaptive personality traits (anxiety sensitivity, hopelessness, impulsivity, sensation seeking) cluster together in groups and how those groups differ in emotional distress/substance use symptoms. Five profiles were identified using latent profile analysis: 1) high victimization, inhibited personality; 2) high perpetration/victimization, impulsive personality; 3) high-risk personality; 4) resilient/inhibited personality; and 5) resilient/externalizing personality. The high-risk personality profile demonstrated the highest emotional distress, followed by profiles characterized by bullying involvement. Elevated substance use was observed among groups characterized by both bullying involvement and personality vulnerability.
... In this study, we will investigate the latter. This construct is related to acceptance that not only belongs to its nomological network (Leyro et al., 2010) but is also a risk factor for anxiety (Taylor, 1999), problematic behaviours related to borderline personality disorder (Linehan, 1993), in addition to the development and maintenance of eating disorders (e.g., Corstorphine et al., 2007). ...
De nombreux concepts comme les compétences émotionnelles, la régulation émotionnelle, l’acceptation, la tolérance à la détresse, l’évitement expérientiel, la décentration et l’autorégulation de l’attention s’inscrivent dans un même réseau nomologique et sont au cœur des approches de pleine conscience et d’acceptation. De précédentes études ont démontré l’association de ces concepts à la santé mentale et plus particulièrement aux troubles anxieux et dépressifs, ainsi qu’au bien-être. Cependant, ils ont rarement été comparés les uns aux autres pour évaluer leur pertinence et leur caractère prédictif respectifs. Comme l’acceptation semble constituer le processus central et actif des approches de pleine conscience et d’acceptation, nous avons émis l’hypothèse selon laquelle chaque concept serait lié de manière indépendante à la santé mentale, et l’acceptation serait celui ayant la plus grande influence. Un total de 321 participants recrutés au sein de la population générale francophone, non clinique, ont rempli de manière anonyme des échelles d’anxiété, de dépression, de bien-être, de compétences émotionnelles, de régulation émotionnelle, d’acceptation, de tolérance à la détresse, d’évitement expérientiel, de décentration et d’autorégulation de l’attention. Des analyses de régression multiples hiérarchiques ont été menées afin d’évaluer et comparer le caractère prédictif de ces concepts. Nos résultats ont démontré que l’acceptation était le meilleur prédicteur de l’anxiété (B = −0,34, p < 0,001), de la dépression (B = −0,36, p < 0,001) et du bien-être (B = 0,40, p < 0,001), par rapport à tous les autres facteurs évalués. Contrairement à l’acceptation, l’évitement expérientiel ne permettait pas de prédire la santé mentale dans les modèles incluant tous les autres prédicteurs. Ainsi, l’acceptation serait le meilleur prédicteur de la santé mentale et du bien-être, donnant encore plus de poids à l’influence majeure qu’elle exerce sur les troubles émotionnels et le bien-être. De plus, nos résultats suggèrent que l’acceptation et l’évitement expérientiel seraient des concepts distincts. En outre, les modèles de médiation démontrent que l’autorégulation de l’attention et la décentration semblent jouer le rôle de compétences intermédiaires vers l’acceptation.
... Existing instruments for measuring anxiety sensitivity mainly include the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI; Reiss et al. 1986), the ASI-Revised (Taylor and Cox 1998), and the ASI-3 (Taylor et al. 2007), among others. Different studies have found that the ASI and ASI-Revised have unstable latent structures (Taylor 1999;Zvolensky et al. 2003). In contrast, the ASI-3 demonstrates good reliability and a stable latent structure compared to the ASI and ASI-Revised (Kemper et al. 2012). ...
Anxiety sensitivity refers to an individual’s belief that anxiety symptoms adversely affect physical, cognitive, and social appraisals, thereby exacerbating the fear of these symptoms. The Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3) has been widely used to measure anxiety sensitivity. To provide researchers with more flexibility in selecting scale lengths, this study developed two shortened versions of the ASI-3 via item response theory analysis: one containing 12 items and the other containing six items. Given the overall good quality of the original scale, this study primarily achieved scale shortening by retaining items that could provide a substantial amount of item information, namely, items of high measurement precision. Compared to the original scale, the two shortened versions demonstrate good reliability while maintaining the same three-dimensional latent structure, robust inter-construct relationships, and highly correlated latent traits.
... The behavioral component includes reassurance-seeking behaviors in order to reduce the fear of illness, and the perceptual component includes mental preoccupation with physical symptoms and feelings [2]. People with health anxiety have many visits to medical centers and pay significant medical costs [3]. Health anxiety is often associated with other mental disorders. ...
Background and aim
Health anxiety is a mental disorder that characterized by an excessive fear about health and physical symptoms. High anxiety in pregnancy is associated with adverse outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of prenatal education on health anxiety of primigravid women.
Methods
The present study was quasi-experimental study. 122 primiparous pregnant women referred to comprehensive health services Shahrekord (A city in the southwest of Iran) clinics in 2019, after receiving consent to participate in the study, randomly divided into two intervention and control groups. The intervention group participated in 8 sessions (1.5-h), once every 2 weeks, from 20 to 37th weeks of gestation. The health anxiety questionnaire was completed on 20th (before the beginning of the courses), 28th and 37th weeks by two groups. Consequences of pregnancy included weight, Apgar score, delivery type, labor time and first breastfeeding time. SPSS version 16 software was used for data analysis.
Results
No significant difference was found type of delivery, gestational age, height, weight, head length, Apgar score, duration of hospitalization and first breastfeeding time. The duration of the active and latent phase of labor was significantly lower and the weight of newborn was significantly higher in the intervention group than the control group (P < 0.05). At 37th week, the scores of illness concern, negative consequence and total health anxiety in the intervention group decreased by 3.42, 0.93 and 4.36 respectively and in control group increased by 2.82, 0.03 and 2.86.
Conclusion
Pregnancy educational courses has positive effects on health anxiety, decrease duration of labor time and increased newborn weight. In order to improve the outcome of pregnancy, educational classes during pregnancy should be considered.
... Given that the majority of assessment instruments have traditionally prioritized diagnostic categories over transdiagnostic mechanisms, the primary challenge was to develop clinical measures capable of identifying individual transdiagnostic dimensions. There have been some measures developed to address specific transdiagnostic mechanisms, such as Intolerance to Uncertainty (Einstein, 2014;Freeston et al., 1994), Anxiety Sensitivity Index (McNally, 1996;Taylor, 1999), and Ruminative Response Scale (Carleton et al., 2007;Deacon et al., 2003;Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991). However, there are not yet specific instruments addressing most of the transdiagnostic mechanisms in emotional disorders. ...
Background
Contemporary diagnostic frameworks in the realm of mental health have garnered criticism due to their categorical paradigm. Given the propensity of emotional disorders to manifest overlapping features, these frameworks fall short in comprehensively encapsulating their intricate nature. As a strategic response, Brown and Barlow introduced an innovative composite approach, amalgamating dimensions and categorical classifications, to adress this concern. Their strategic implementation hinged on the Multidimensional Emotional Disorder Inventory (MEDI), a transdiagnostic self-report instrument. Objective: this study undertakes the task of refining and validating the applicability of the MEDI within a non-clinical sample of Colombian university students (n = 808).
Methods
This study employed Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) to explore the structure of the measure. Results: ESEM suggested that the 8-dimension model with 48 items was the best-fitting solution, aligning with most dimensions identified by the original MEDI validation. Reliability was adequate for almost all dimensions (α: 0.69 – 0.92). An 8-dimension model with 48 items emerged as the most fitting solution, aligning with most dimensions identified by the original MEDI validation.
Conclusion
The ensuing validation and contextual adaptation of the MEDI for use in the Colombian population augments the transdiagnostic evaluation of emotional disorders, with potential implications for enhanced stratification of targeted therapeutic interventions. By optimizing the assessment of both dimensional and cross-diagnostic paradigms, the MEDI portends a noteworthy impact in realms encompassing both academic inquiry and clinical practice.
... Although overall effects of Time (across the whole sample) suggest an improvement in all transdiagnostic variables examined, no significant effects were found between time points (based on pairwise comparisons) on positive affect (both treatment groups) and emotional avoidance (AMtE group). Given the importance of negative affect (neuroticism) in the development of emotional disorders (Barlow et al., 2004Sandín et al., 2012;, together with the well-known relevance of anxiety sensitivity (Taylor, 1999), the effectiveness of AMtE to reduce these transdiagnostic factors is a very important result of this research. ...
Objective: The Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Adolescents (UP-A) is awell-established transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral therapy (T-CBT) intervention. The aim of the present studywas to examine the efficacy of the program Learn to Manage your Emotions [Aprende a Manejar tus Emociones](AMtE), a self-applied transdiagnostic internet-delivered program based on the Spanish version of the UP-A. Thisis the first transdiagnostic internet-based program designed for the treatment of emotional disorders inadolescents.Method: A sample of Spanish adolescents with a primary diagnosis of an anxiety and/or depressive disorder (n =58; age range = 12–18 years; 78.3% girls; 90% Caucasian) were randomly allocated to receive AMtE (n = 28) orthe UP-A via videocall (n = 30). Pre-treatment, post-treatment and 3-month follow-up data were collected usingself-reports and clinician-rated measures of anxiety, depression, positive and negative affect, anxiety sensitivityand emotional avoidance.Results: Based on generalized estimating equations (GEE) models, both intervention programs were effective insignificantly reducing self-reported anxiety and depressive disorder symptoms and clinician-rated severity ofanxiety and depression, as well as self-reported transdiagnostic outcome variables.Conclusions: Data provide empirical support for the efficacy of AMtE as a transdiagnostic online CBT treatmentfor anxiety and depressive disorders in adolescents. No marked nor consistent differences were observed betweenthe UP-A and AMtE, highlighting the potential usefulness of the online self-administered AMtE program.
... AS refers to the fear of anxiety or anxiety-related symptoms [31]. AS amplifies negative mood states via enhanced threat perception (eg anxiety) [32,33], contributing to the development of anxiety and depressive problems [34]. Notably, anxiety and depression contribute to an increased likelihood of poor ART adherence [35]. ...
Background
Black adults who smoke and have HIV experience immense stressors (eg, racial discrimination and HIV stigma) that impede smoking cessation success and perpetuate smoking-related health disparities. These stressors also place Black adults who smoke and have HIV at an increased risk of elevated interoceptive stress (eg, anxiety and uncomfortable bodily sensations) and smoking to manage symptoms. In turn, this population is more likely to smoke to manage interoceptive stress, which contributes to worse HIV-related outcomes in this group. However, no specialized treatment exists to address smoking cessation, interoceptive stress, and HIV management for Black smokers with HIV.
Objective
This study aims to test a culturally adapted and novel mobile intervention that targets combustible cigarette smoking, HIV treatment engagement and adherence, and anxiety sensitivity (a proxy for difficulty and responsivity to interoceptive stress) among Black smokers with HIV (ie, Mobile Anxiety Sensitivity Program for Smoking and HIV [MASP+]). Various culturally tailored components of the app are being evaluated for their ability to help users quit smoking, manage physiological stress, and improve health care management.
Methods
This study is a pilot randomized controlled trial in which Black combustible cigarette smokers with HIV (N=72) are being recruited and randomly assigned to use either (1) the National Cancer Institute’s QuitGuide app or (2) MASP+. Study procedures include a web-based prescreener; active intervention period for 6 weeks; smartphone-based assessments, including daily app-based ecological momentary assessments for 6 weeks (4 ecological momentary assessments each day); a video-based qualitative interview using Zoom Video Communications software at week 6 for participants in all study conditions; and smartphone-based follow-up assessments at 0, 1, 2 (quit date), 3, 4, 5, 6, and 28 weeks postbaseline (26 weeks postquitting date).
Results
Primary outcomes include biochemically verified 7-day point prevalence of abstinence, HIV-related quality of life, use of antiretroviral therapy, and HIV care appointment adherence at 26 weeks postquitting date. Qualitative data are also being collected and assessed to obtain feedback that will guide further tailoring of app content and evaluation of efficacy.
Conclusions
The results of this study will determine whether the MASP+ app serves as a successful aid for combustible cigarette smoking cessation, HIV treatment engagement, and physiological stress outcomes among Black people with HIV infection. If successful, this study will provide evidence for the efficacy of a new means of addressing major mental and physical health difficulties for this high-risk population. If the results are promising, the data from this study will be used to update and tailor the MASP+ app for testing in a fully powered randomized controlled trial that will evaluate its efficacy in real-world behavioral health and social service settings.
Trial Registration
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05709002; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05709002
International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)
PRR1-10.2196/52090
... Anxiety sensitivity, the fear of arousal-related bodily sensations, consists of physical, cognitive, and social fears; it stems from misinterpreting anxiety symptoms as dangerous and is recognized as a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology (Lang et al., 2002;Marshall et al., 2010;Reiss, 1987Reiss, , 1991Reiss & McNally, 1985;Reiss et al., 1986;Stephenson et al., 2009;Taylor, 2003). Individuals high in anxiety sensitivity may fear that physical sensations are a precursor to negative health states (e.g., a heart attack), that the inability to concentrate is reflective of having mental problems, and that externally observable bodily reactions (e.g., shaking/trembling and rapid breathing) will elicit social rejection (Taylor, 1999). Anxiety sensitivity has been positively associated with PTSD symptoms following a variety of traumas, including childhood sexual abuse (Martin et al., 2014), combat (Armstrong et al., 2021), firefighting (Paulus et al., 2018), hurricane (Reuther et al., 2010), campus shooting (Boffa et al., 2016), physical trauma (Marshall et al., 2010), intimate partner violence (Lang et al., 2002), and bereavement because of unexpected, sudden deaths (Williams et al., 2020). ...
Objective: Those bereaved by suicide are at greater risk of prolonged distress compared to those bereaved by other modes of death. Trauma- and emotion-related factors may increase this vulnerability. Finding the body of the deceased may intensify postsuicide distress. Anxiety sensitivity, fear of one’s anxiety-related symptoms, has been positively associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in other trauma populations but has not been studied in the suicide bereaved. Method: This study examined the relationships among finding the body, anxiety sensitivity, and PTSD in a treatment-seeking, suicide-bereaved sample (N = 50). Pretreatment baseline data on demographics, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index, and the PTSD Checklist were analyzed. Results: Younger age (r = −.31, p = .03), being a person of color (r = −.32, p = .02), and fewer days since the loss (r = −.30, p = .03) were associated with greater PTSD. Controlling for age, race, and days since the loss, PTSD was unrelated to finding the body, F(1, 45) = 0.01, p = .92, but was positively associated with anxiety sensitivity (pr = .32, p = .03). In simultaneous regression analyses, age, race, days since the loss, finding the body, and anxiety sensitivity accounted for 33% of the variance in PTSD, F(2, 44) = 4.29, p = .003; anxiety sensitivity was the only significant predictor of PTSD symptoms (β = .36, t = 2.35, p = .02). Conclusions: Anxiety sensitivity has important implications for the development and maintenance of PTSD in the suicide bereaved and should be assessed and targeted in suicide postvention.
... While less researched in the binge eating literature, anxiety sensitivity (AS) is a transdiagnostic risk for the development/maintenance of psychopathologies, including depression and binge eating (Anestis et al., 2008;Naragon-Gainey, 2010). AS involves a fear of arousal-related sensations (e.g., rapid heart rate, sweating, difficulties concentrating) due to beliefs that such sensations portend catastrophic consequences (Taylor, 1999). Without treatment (Sabourin et al., 2016), AS remains stable over time, resembling a trait (Hovenkamp-Hermelink et al., 2019). ...
Anxiety sensitivity (AS) – characterized by a persistent fear that arousal-related bodily sensations will lead to serious cognitive, physical, and/or social consequences – is associated with various psychopathologies, including depressive symptoms and binge eating. This 3-week, 3-wave longitudinal study examined the relation between AS (including its global AS factor and lower-order AS cognitive, physical, and social concern dimensions), depressive symptoms, and binge eating among 410 undergraduates from two universities. Using generalized estimating equation models, we found that global AS, AS social concerns, and depressive symptoms predicted binge eating during any given week. Mediation analyses showed that global AS (as a latent variable with its lower-order AS dimensions as indicators), AS cognitive concerns, and AS physical concerns at Wave 1 predicted subsequent increases in depressive symptoms at Wave 2, which, in turn, led to increases in binge eating at Wave 3. Findings contribute to a better understanding of the interplay between AS, depressive symptoms, and binge eating, highlighting the role of binge eating as a potential coping mechanism for individuals with high AS, particularly in managing depressive symptoms. This study underscores the importance of AS-targeted intervention and prevention efforts in addressing depressive symptoms and binge eating.
... Anxiety sensitivity has been described as a fear of anxiety symptoms that incorporates false beliefs about the harmfulness of such symptoms. 12 Just as individual susceptibility to anxiety varies (one person may become anxious with minimal provocation, whereas another may do so only under the most stressful circumstances), so does susceptibility to anxiety sensitivity. An individual's sensitivity to anxiety plays a key role in the maintenance of anxiety-related disorders (eg, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder) and avoidance behaviors (eg, substance abuse, social withdrawal, declining medical interventions). ...
Anxiety sensitivity is a fear of symptoms associated with anxiety (eg, rapid respiration and heart rate, perspiration), also known as “fear of fear.” This fear is a misinterpretation of nonthreatening symptoms as threatening across 3 domains: physical (“When my heart rate increases, I’m afraid I may have a heart attack”), social (“If people see me perspire, I fear they will negatively evaluate me”), and cognitive (“When I feel these symptoms, I fear it means I’m going crazy or will lose control and do something dangerous like disconnect my IV”). These thoughts stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, resulting in stronger sensations and further catastrophic misinterpretations, which may spiral into a panic attack. Strategies to address anxiety sensitivity include pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions. In intensive care unit settings, anxiety sensitivity may be related to common monitoring and interventional procedures (eg, oxygen therapy, repositioning, use of urine collection systems). Anxiety sensitivity can be a barrier to weaning from mechanical ventilation when patients are uncomfortable following instructions to perform awakening or breathing trials. Fortunately, anxiety sensitivity is a malleable trait with evidence-based intervention options. However, few health care providers are aware of this psychological construct and available treatment. This article describes the nature of anxiety sensitivity, its potential impact on intensive care, how to assess and interpret scores from validated instruments such as the Anxiety Sensitivity Index, and treatment approaches across the critical care trajectory, including long-term recovery. Implications for critical care practice and future directions are also addressed.
... Taken together, it appears that AS and EA are overlapping, but somewhat distinct constructs that may impact treatment outcomes. Although AS and EA are both related to the emotional disturbances of anxiety, the theoretical difference of the dysfunctional beliefs associated with AS (i.e., fear of bodily sensations) (Taylor, 1999) and the process of reflecting on an undesirable internal experience (Hayes et al., 1996) arguably maintain a distinction between the constructs. If AS or EA are identified as relevant factors in the treatment of anxious youth, there are clinical implications that may lead to improved treatment response, affording the opportunity for individualized treatment to address AS and EA, expanding beyond the existing literature that shows their relevance for understanding the presence of anxiety. ...
Purpose
Anxiety sensitivity (AS) and experiential avoidance (EA) are associated with anxiety in both adults and youths. This study examined the separate contributions of AS and EA in predicting (a) anxiety (symptom severity) and (b) differential treatment outcomes in anxious youth receiving cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Methods
Participants (N = 89; age 10–17 years; 37% male; 78% white) met diagnostic criteria for an anxiety disorder and received CBT (Coping Cat). AS and EA were child-report measures collected at baseline. The outcome variables were anxiety symptom severity (Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children; child- and parent-reported) and Independent Evaluator-rated anxiety severity (Child Global Impression-Severity) collected at baseline and posttreatment. Multilevel models (MLM) examined independent and relative contributions of AS and EA to the outcome variables as a secondary analysis.
Results
Both AS and EA were associated with levels of anxiety symptom severity at pretreatment and at posttreatment, varying by reporter. Neither AS nor EA predicted differential treatment outcomes: youth at varying levels had comparably favorable outcomes.
Conclusions
Findings suggest similarity in AS and EA, and that both constructs may be adequately and equally addressed in CBT. Future research could consider examining change in AS and EA and anxiety across treatment in diverse populations.
... This is consistent with previous perinatal studies describing an association between anxiety sensitivity and mood and anxiety disorder symptoms (Jokić-Begić et al., 2014;Keogh et al., 2002;Verreault et al., 2014). Anxiety sensitivity was originally considered to contribute to the development of panic disorder (Taylor, 1999) but a large literature has found a link between anxiety sensitivity and the other anxiety disorders (Naragon-Gainey, 2010), including agoraphobia (Hayward & Wilson, 2007), social anxiety (e.g., Hazen et al., 1994;Rodriguez et al., 2004), and specific phobia (Lilienfeld, 1999;Taylor, 1996). There may be more of a biological component for the association between increased anxiety sensitivity and Fear symptoms in pregnancy. ...
Objectives: Perinatal psychopathology can be damaging. This study examined the strength of the associations between risk factors and all perinatal mood and anxiety disorder symptoms while assessing the mediating effect of experiential avoidance. Method: Participants ( N =246) completed assessments during pregnancy (28-32 weeks) and the postpartum (6-8 weeks). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine associations between risk factors and latent factors: Distress (composed of depression, generalized anxiety, irritability, and panic symptoms); Fear (social anxiety, agoraphobia, specific phobia, and obsessive-compulsive); and Bipolar (mania and obsessive-compulsive). Results: During pregnancy, past psychiatric history, anxiety sensitivity, maladaptive coping, and age were significant risk factors. In the postpartum, negative maternal attitudes and past psychiatric history were only risk factors for symptoms that composed Distress. Experiential avoidance mediated the relation between maladaptive coping and symptoms that composed Fear. Conclusion : It is important to assess for psychological risk factors starting in pregnancy. This study identified critical risk factors that are associated with the underlying commonality among perinatal mood and anxiety symptoms. Some of the risk factors as well as the mediator are malleable (negative maternal attitudes, experiential avoidance), creating new possibilities for prevention and treatment of perinatal mood and anxiety disorder symptoms.
... The student received a zero if any of the following list items (#2-6) were checked. If a respondent agreed with any of the following list items (#2-6), they received a 1. Notably, the phrase "as a study assistance" (#6) is misused (i.e., 1 if the student had misused that prescription drug class and 0 if they had not) (Taylor, 2014). ...
Background
Young individuals (18 to 25 years old) misuse prescription drugs at the highest rates. College or university audience may come with added risk. Previous studies indicate that personality plays a significant role in the prediction of much addictive behavior.
Method
Four characteristics of anxiety symptoms, hopelessness, sensation seeking, and impulsivity have continuously been linked. The major focus on overall prescription drug use, inconsistent operationalization of misuse, and failure to account for alcohol use restrict published studies on personality as a predictor of prescription drug misuse. Small and general sample sizes were used.
Result
We wanted to know more about how personality influenced total use, use that was approved by a doctor, and misuse of prescription sedatives/tranquilizers, opioids, and stimulants. Young adults in Karachi, Pakistan were included in the large (N = 1755) sample (mean age = 18.6 years; 68.9% female). We hypothesized that sedatives/tranquilizers would be associated to anxiety sensitivity, opioids to hopelessness, stimulants to sensation seeking, and impulsivity to all three. Except for the impulsivity to opioid use pathway, our “any use” model’s predictions were entirely supported. Sensation seeking predicted stimulants for misuse, anxiety sensitivity (marginally) predicted sedatives/tranquilizers, and impulsivity predicted all three.
Conclusion
Our models advocate for the use of interventions that are tailored to each young adults’ personality. Targeting anxiety sensitivity for sedative/tranquilizer misuse, sensation seeking for stimulant misuse and impulsivity for unrestrained prescription drug misuse are specifically suggested by the studies.
... AS refers to the trait-like predisposition of fearing anxiety-related bodily sensations. Studies on AS as a predictor and its role in developing and maintaining anxiety disorders (Taylor, 2014) have been increasing. ...
Objective: We examined the unique predictive strength of anxiety sensitivity (AS) and the role of expectancy, credibility, and therapeutic alliance (TA) as predictors and mediators of cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) outcomes in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Method: The current study is a prospective cohort study. Participants (N = 116) were treatment-seeking individuals with a primary diagnosis of OCD. Independent raters assessed patients on Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) and Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 at baseline, post-intervention, and three-month follow-up. Participants responded to the Credibility and Expectancy questionnaire and Working Alliance Inventory-Short revised at baseline, first-session, and mid-session.
Results: The individual addition of AS, end-of-first-session credibility and expectancy, mid-session credibility and
expectancy, and therapeutic alliance predicted significant CBT outcomes. There was a moderate positive correlation between baseline OCD severity and the global score of AS, but a weak one with AS dimensions. Both expectancy and credibility significantly improved from baseline to end-of-first-session treatment. End-of-first and third-session outcome expectancies, not credibility, have significant, indirect effects on OCD CBT outcomes.
Conclusions: AS, within-session credibility and expectancies and TA independently predict CBT outcomes. Within-sessions outcome expectancies mediate CBT outcomes in OCD, not credibility. Expectancy and credibility both include state-like elements that can be influenced to enhance the outcomes of CBT. Proposals for reducing treatment barriers in CBT for OCD are offered.
... Individuals with high anxiety sensitivity fear symptoms of physiological arousal (e.g., sweating, difficulty concentrating, blushing, rapid breathing) because they believe that these signal severe impending negative consequences (Reiss & McNally, 1985). Research has long supported that these arousal-based fears are focused in three domains-physical concerns, cognitive concerns, and social concerns (Taylor, 1999;Taylor et al., 2007). Individuals with high physical concerns worry about the physical health consequences that may result (e.g., difficulty breathing leading to choking). ...
Anxiety sensitivity, the fear of physiological arousal sensations, has been linked to lower sexual frequency, poorer sexual function, and greater sexual anxiety. The current study assessed whether anxiety sensitivity specific to the sexual context, termed sexual anxiety sensitivity, was linked to a wide range of indicators of sexual well-being over and above associations accounted for by general anxiety sensitivity. As a first step, we developed the Sexual Anxiety Sensitivity Inventory (SASI). Participants were 484 adults aged 19 to 60 years old who completed an on-line survey. To develop the SASI, we constructed parallel items to those on the Anxiety Sensitivity Scale-3 (ASI-3; Taylor et al., 2007 Taylor, S., Zvolensky, M. J., Cox, B. J., Deacon, B., Heimberg, R.G., Ledley, D.R., Abramowitz, J. S., Holaway, R. M., Sandin, B., Stewart, S. H., Coles, M., Eng, W., Daly, E. S., Arrindell, W. A., Bouvard, M., & Cardenas, S. J. (2007). Robust dimensions of anxiety sensitivity: Development and initial validation of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index—3. Psychological Assessment, 19(2), 176–188. doi:10.1037/1040-3590.19.2.176[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). The SASI demonstrated the same three-factor structure as the ASI-3 and showed high internal consistency providing evidence for its reliability. As predicted, sexual anxiety sensitivity was significantly associated with all ten of the markers of the behavioral, cognitive-affective, and functional domains of sexual well-being assessed and six of these associations remained significant after controlling for general anxiety sensitivity. The results provide evidence that sexual anxiety sensitivity is an important construct for understanding individuals’ sexual well-being and provide initial evidence that the specificity of the SASI has value as a reliable and valid measure for assessing sex-related anxiety sensitivity. Implications for clinicians and researchers are discussed.
... Sensitivity relates to how individuals process and interpret internal and external signals. One example is anxiety sensitivity, the enhanced awareness of the symptoms of anxiety, such as heart palpitations or worry, and tendency to perceive these as being harmful (Taylor, 2014). Anxiety sensitivity is moderately heritable, with estimates ranging from 37% in children (Eley, Gregory, Clark, & Ehlers, 2007) to 45% in adolescents (Stein, Jang, & Livesley, 1999;Zavos, Rijsdijk, Gregory, & Eley, 2010). ...
Background
Despite being considered a measure of environmental risk, reported life events are partly heritable. One mechanism that may contribute to this heritability is genetic influences on sensitivity, relating to how individuals process and interpret internal and external signals. The aim of this study was to explore the genetic and environmental overlap between self‐reported life events and measures of sensitivity.
Methods
At age 17, 2,939 individuals from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS) completed measures of anxiety sensitivity (Children's Anxiety Sensitivity Index), environmental sensitivity (Highly Sensitive Child Scale) and reported their experience of 20 recent life events. Using multivariate Cholesky decomposition models, we investigated the shared genetic and environmental influences on the associations between these measures of sensitivity and the number of reported life events, as well as both negative and positive ratings of life events.
Results
The majority of the associations between anxiety sensitivity, environmental sensitivity and reported life events were explained by shared genetic influences (60%–75%), with the remainder explained by nonshared environmental influences (25%–40%). Environmental sensitivity showed comparable genetic correlations with both negative and positive ratings of life events (rA = .21 and .15), anxiety sensitivity only showed a significant genetic correlation with negative ratings of life events (rA = .33). Approximately 10% of the genetic influences on reported life events were accounted for by influences shared with anxiety sensitivity and environmental sensitivity.
Conclusion
Differences in how individuals process the contextual aspects of the environment or interpret their own physical and emotional response to environmental stimuli may be one mechanism through which genetic liability influences the subjective experience of life events.
... However, the baseline state engendered by floating is not affectively neutral, as prior research has shown that the float experience induces a state of serenity and decreased anxiety, effects that were most pronounced in clinically anxious patients (Feinstein et al., 2018a,b;Khalsa et al., 2020). Notably, all of the patients had high levels of anxiety sensitivity, which refers to one's fear of experiencing anxiety-related symptoms and sensations, especially those arising from within the body (Taylor, 2014). Interestingly, the float environment was found to enhance awareness for interoceptive sensation, especially sensations emanating from the cardiorespiratory system (Feinstein et al., 2018b;Khalsa et al., 2020). ...
The central nervous system (CNS) exerts a strong regulatory influence over the cardiovascular system in response to environmental demands. Floatation-REST (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy) is an intervention that minimizes stimulation from the environment, yet little is known about the autonomic consequences of reducing external sensory input to the CNS. We recently found that Floatation-REST induces a strong anxiolytic effect in anxious patients while paradoxically enhancing their interoceptive awareness for cardiorespiratory sensations. To further investigate the physiologic nature of this anxiolytic effect, the present study measured acute cardiovascular changes during Floatation-REST using wireless and waterproof equipment that allowed for concurrent measurement of heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), breathing rate, and blood pressure. Using a within-subjects crossover design, 37 clinically anxious participants with high levels of anxiety sensitivity and 20 non-anxious comparison participants were randomly assigned to undergo a 90-min session of either Floatation-REST or an exteroceptive comparison condition that entailed watching a relaxing nature film. Measures of state anxiety and serenity were collected before and after each session, while indices of autonomic activity were measured throughout each session. HRV was calculated using both time-series and frequency domain analyses. Linear mixed-effects modeling revealed a significant main effect of condition such that relative to the film condition, Floatation-REST elicited significant decreases (p < 0.001) in diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, breathing rate, and certain metrics of HRV including the standard deviation of the interbeat interval (SDNN), low-frequency HRV, and very low-frequency HRV. Heart rate showed a non-significant trend (p = 0.073) toward being lower in the float condition, especially toward the beginning of the session. The only metric that showed a significant increase during Floatation-REST was normalized high-frequency HRV (p < 0.001). The observed physiological changes were consistent across both anxious and non-anxious participants, and there were no significant group by condition interactions. Blood pressure was the only cardiac metric significantly associated with float-related reductions in state anxiety and increases in serenity. These findings suggest that Floatation-REST lowers sympathetic arousal and alters the balance of the autonomic nervous system toward a more parasympathetic state.
Clinical trial registration
[https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT03051074], identifier [NCT03051074].
... Other studies found relationships between AS and general depression-particularly those studies assessing lower-order facets of AS. AS cognitive concerns (a lower order facet of AS involving fear of cognitive dyscontrol and a fear of mental incapacitation when experiencing anxiety) have been shown to be associated with increased depression symptom severity in clinically depressed individuals [30,78,79] and with depressed mood in non-clinical samples [80]. Our findings extend this prior research linking AS with indices of general distress-both anxiety and depressive symptoms-to the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. ...
We investigated whether anxiety sensitivity (AS) is associated with increased distress and adherence to public health guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic among undergraduates, and whether increased distress mediates the relationship between AS and increased adherence. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted with 1318 first- and second-year undergraduates (mean age of 19.2 years; 79.5% females) from five Canadian universities. Relevant subscales of the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS) and the Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI-10) were used to assess AS and neuroticism. Three measures tapped distress: the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depressive symptoms, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) for anxiety symptoms, and the Brief COVID-19 Stress Scales (CSS-B) for COVID-19-specific distress. The COVID-19 Adherence scale (CAD) assessed adherence to COVID-19 containment measures. AS was significantly independently associated with higher general distress (both anxiety and depressive symptoms) and higher COVID-19-specific distress, after controlling age, sex, study site, and neuroticism. Moreover, AS indirectly predicted greater adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures through higher COVID-19-specific distress. Interventions targeting higher AS might be helpful for decreasing both general and COVID-19-specific distress, whereas interventions targeting lower AS might be helpful for increasing adherence to public health containment strategies, in undergraduates.
... Anxiety sensitivity has been classified into three sub-dimensions: physical, social and cognitive. (7). The concept of anxiety sensitivity was initially considered to be one-dimensional, but as a result of factor analyzes, it was considered as a concept with three sub-dimensions (8). ...
OBJECTIVE: In this study, it was aimed to determine relationship two transdiagnostic factors (anxiety sensitivity and cognitive flexibility) between Coronavirus-19 (COVİD-19) phobia. METHOD: For the study, the forms were sent to social media groups with 4,000 and 3,500 people on social media, and the participants were selected by the simple random sampling method. 280 volunteers who met the inclusion criteria were accepted. Sociodemographic Data Form, Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI), Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3), COVID-19 Phobia Scale was used to evaluate the volunteers. RESULT: 161 male and 101 female volunteers participated in the study. Both sexes have similar characteristics regarding age, marital status, and years of education. In the correlation analyses, positive correlations were found between coronaphobia scale total scores and ASI- physical (r=.584), ASI- cognitive (r=.556), ASI- social (r=.524), ASI-total (r=.609), whereas a negative correlation was found between coronaphobia scale total scores and CF-alternatives (r=-.232), CF-control (r=-.375), CF-total (r=-.328). Stepwise regression analysis was applied with ASI and CFI subscales to predict coronaphobia scale scores. According to the results, ASI-physical (β=.287), ASI-cognitive (β= .178) positive and CF-control (β=-.148) negatively predicted coronaphobia total scores significantly {F(7, 254) = 23,361, p < .01) , with an R 2 of .375 DISCUSSION: Our results were shown that sub-tpye of transdiagnostik factors were more closely related to coronophobia and even predicted.
... Taylor, S. (Ed.). (1999) [12] has analysed the severity of anxiety in different people saying that there are people who easily get anxious compared to others who need to go through a very difficult time in order to suffer from anxiety symptoms. Taylor, S. (Ed.). ...
Communication apprehension has a great impact on students' academic achievements. In English as a foreign language classroom setting we often see students who become very insecure whenever they are asked to engage in activities which require applying public speaking or doing any communication activities in a foreign language. The fear of public speaking is present in almost every language classroom in a university environment. Communication between students and the teacher becomes more problematic when students have to use a foreign language in the classroom. Even though the role of communication skills is very important, the impact that communication apprehension has, has not received the required attention from the teachers or researchers. The number of students' who struggle when communicating in a foreign language (English in this case) is very high and unfortunately these students suffer in silence without getting any help from their instructors, parents, phycologists etc. There were seventy-five participants who took part in this study. All students at South East European University in, Tetovo. The main instrument for the data collection was a standardized questionnaire created by McCroskey who has given a tremendous contribution in the field of communication. This reliable questionnaire is widely used by many other authors, teachers and researchers. From the results of this study it was concluded the students who failed to deliver good presentations and scored lower grades, were at some level; from average to severe, all affected by communication apprehension.
... In other words, perceiving physical signs of stress as a threat to physical health refers to anxiety sensitivity which is defined as the fear of anxiety and its probable consequences and leads to experiencing more stress in a vicious circle (McNally, 2002). Anxiety sensitivity is conceived as one of the cognitive-based factors which contributes to stimulating and maintaining emotional disorders (Leventhal & Zvolensky, 2015;Taylor, 2014) such as anxiety and panicspectrum (McNally, 2002). Therefore, it could be one of the potential risk factors for pregnant women's mental and physical health. ...
This study compares effectiveness of cognitive behavioral training (CBT) and positive psychology training (PPT) on psychological health of pregnant women with pregnancy anxiety. We studied forty-five pregnant women with pregnancy anxiety in two experimental and control groups. All participants completed a demographic questionnaire, PDQ, ASI, WHOQOL-BREF and CD-RISC in two stages and CBT and PPT were taught for experimental groups. The results showed a significant difference between experimental and control groups in total scores of pregnancy anxiety, quality of life, anxiety sensitivity and resilience (F(8,70) = 11.63, P < .001, Wilks' Λ = .184, partial η2 = .571) but no meaningful difference between effectiveness of CBT and PPT on psychological health of pregnant women with pregnancy anxiety (P > .001). According to the results, CBT and PPT both have substantial impacts on improving psychological health of pregnant women with pregnancy anxiety; however, there is no statistically significant difference between efficiency of CBT and PPT. This study was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (No: IRCT20171212037852N1) and reported based on the CONSORT checklist for reports of randomized trials.
... Since there does not seem to be enough mental capacity to process and consciously experience internally disturbing experiences in psychopaths, so in the face of distressing experiences that result from the interaction of mood instability, sensitivity to anxiety, and negative emotional experiences, neurotic individuals are prone to impulsive reactions to relieve, albeit temporarily and superficially, these disturbing experiences. For example, Otto, Eastman, Lo, Hearon, Bickel, Zvolensky, and Doan (2016) and Taylor (2014) showed that disgust, anxiety sensitivity increase the need to escape or avoid negative emotional or physical experiences. In this regard, various studies have shown the coping functions of high-risk behaviors to reduce negative emotional experiences (Castellano, Platania, Varrasi, Pirrone & Di Nuovo, 2020;Conrod & Nikolaou, 2016). ...
Objective: This research aims to design and validation of youth high-risk behaviors short scale.
Methods: In this research, the descriptive-survey method was used. The statistical population was all students of Mashhad universities which 681 students were randomly selected from multi-stage cluster types. The tools used also included: youth high-risk behaviors short-scale developed by the researcher, as well as the Big Five-Inventory (2007) and Psychological Well-being Scale (1989).
Results: The results showed that 14-item high-risk behaviors scale has good psychometric properties and is the norm with Iranian society. The validity of the scale was good with the methods of construct validity (confirmatory factor analysis) and convergent and divergent validity (p<0.01). The results of confirmatory factor analysis also confirmed the seven-factor nature of the scale, and the obtained model had a good fit with the research data. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the whole scale was 0.82.
Conclusion: Therefore, researchers and health professionals can use this tool in their future studies due to its unique features.
... The anxiety sensitivity construct reflects the extent to which individuals believe anxiety and anxiety-related sensations (e.g., racing heart) have harmful personal consequences (McNally, 2002). It is a relatively stable, but malleable, construct (Taylor, 1999). The global anxiety sensitivity construct encompasses lower-order fears of physical, mental, and publicly observable experiences (Zinbarg, Barlow, & Brown, 1997). ...
The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with an increased prevalence of mental health problems and addictive behaviors. There is a growing theoretical and empirical evidence that individual differences in interoceptive anxiety-related processes are a one set of vulnerability factors that are important in understanding the impact of pandemic-related mental health problems and addictive behavior. However, there has not been a comprehensive effort to explore this rapidly growing body of research and its implications for public health. In this paper, we discuss why interoceptive anxiety-related processes are relevant to understanding mental health and addictive behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. We then provide a narrative review of the available COVID-19 literature linking interoceptive fear and anxiety-related processes (e.g., anxiety sensitivity, health anxiety, and COVID-19 anxiety, fear, and worry) to mental health and addictive behaviors. We then propose a novel transdiagnostic theoretical model that highlights the role of interoceptive anxiety-related processes in mental health and addictive behavior in the context of the present and future pandemics. In the final section, we utilize this conceptualization to underscore clinical implications and provide guidance for future research initiatives in the management of COVID-19 mental health and addictive behaviors and inform the public health field for future pandemics.
Anxiety sensitivity may be associated with both anxiety and eating disorder symptoms, which could contribute to the frequent comorbidity of both syndromes. This study examined the common (i.e., correlated) genetic and environmental contributions to anxiety sensitivity, cognitive symptoms of eating disorder severity, and anxiety symptoms to understand their co-occurrence in adolescence. This study analyzed data from the Twins Early Development Study. When twins were 16 years old (N = 5,111 pairs), they self-reported anxiety sensitivity via the Child Anxiety Sensitivity Index and cognitive symptoms of eating disorder severity via four items from the Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale. Parents reported adolescent anxiety symptoms via the Anxiety Related Behaviour Questionnaire. Common genetic and non-shared environmental factors contributed to phenotypic correlations among cognitive symptoms of eating disorders. Genetic and nonshared environmental influences contributed to anxiety sensitivity and a latent variable of cognitive symptoms of eating disorder severity. Genetic, shared-, and nonshared- environmental influences contributed to anxiety symptoms. Common genetic and nonshared environmental influences contributed to anxiety sensitivity and anxiety symptoms, as well as anxiety sensitivity and cognitive symptoms of eating disorder severity. However, there was no evidence of common genetic or environmental contributions to anxiety symptoms and cognitive symptoms of eating disorder severity. This study implicates anxiety sensitivity as a potential cognitive process associated with both anxiety symptoms and cognitive symptoms of eating disorders.
Cigarette smoking is highly prevalent in the United States and associated with a host of negative outcomes. Individuals with elevated mental health conditions who smoke cigarettes are among the most vulnerable in terms of difficulty quitting smoking. Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is one targetable transdiagnostic factor that has consistently been implicated as a prominent and unique individual difference factor relevant to both mental health conditions and smoking behavior. Thus, the present chapter presents an integrated intervention program (Anxiety Sensitivity Reduction Program for Smoking; ASRP-S) developed to target AS in the context of smoking cessation. ASRP-S consists of four in-person treatment sessions focusing on multiple treatment techniques (i.e., cognitive behavioral, motivational interviewing, pharmacotherapy, etc.) and psychoeducation to target AS reduction and smoking cessation. The chapter provides empirical support for the implementation of ASRP-S and suggestions for personalized treatment approaches as well as a practical guide to assist clinicians in utilizing the treatment.
Given the increasing population of elderly in different societies, it is important to pay attention to their basic needs and their physical, mental health and quality of life. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the causal model of quality of life of the elderly based on anxiety sensitivity through the mediating role of experiential avoidance. It was a descriptive and structural equations study. The statistical population of this study included all elderly people living in nursing homes in Ardabil, among which two homes, Mandegaran and Atta, were randomly selected, and 150 elderlies were selected using convenience sampling. World Health Organization quality of life questionnaire, Reiss and Peterson anxiety sensitivity questionnaire, acceptance and action questionnaire of Hayes et al. were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling using SPSS 23 and Lisrel 8.8. Based on the results, the causal model confirmed the relationship between anxiety sensitivity, experiential avoidance and life quality of elderly based on different fit indices. Anxiety sensitivity and experiential avoidance showed a direct influence on quality of life of the elderly; also, anxiety sensitivity indirectly effected on life quality of the elderly through experiential avoidance (P<0.05). Therefore, anxiety sensitivity and experiential avoidance play an important role in life quality of the elderly and targeting these two components by psychological therapies could be effective in enhancing life quality of the elderly.
Objective: Limited work has focused on understanding the function of individual difference factors in terms of mental health among sexual minority college students. Anxiety sensitivity is one individual difference factor which has received substantial empirical attention, but its role is presently understudied among racially/ethnically diverse sexual minority college students.Participants: Participants included a racially and ethnically diverse sample of sexual minority college students (N = 217; Mage = 20.82 years; SD = 3.06).Methods: The present investigation evaluated the role of anxiety sensitivity in relation to anxious arousal, social anxiety, depression, and suicidality.Results: Results indicated that anxiety sensitivity was significantly related to increased anxious arousal, social anxiety, depression, and suicidality after adjusting for age, sex, relationship status, subjective social status, and neuroticism.Conclusions: This investigation provides the first empirical evidence that anxiety sensitivity is related to poorer mental health outcomes for racially/ethnically diverse sexual minority college students.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between obsessional dissociation, family accommodation, and anxiety sensitivity in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Materials and Methods: The participants of this descriptive and relationship-seeking study were 62 individuals with OCD and 43 healthy controls. We collected data using a sociodemographic data form, the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), the Family Accommodation Scale-Patient Version (FAS-PV), the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3), and the Van Obsessional Dissociation Questionnaire (VOD-Q). Results: Both the ASI-3 and VOD-Q subscale and global scores of the patients participating in the study were higher than those of the healthy controls, and there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups. Sixty-two percent of the total score of VOD-Q was explained by the ASI-3 total and subscale scores, 16% by the YBOCS total and subscale scores, and 11% by the FAS-PV total and subscale scores (F:38.622; F:6.797; and F:2.941, respectively). Conclusion: In our study, individuals diagnosed with OCD had higher levels of obsessional dissociation than healthy individuals and anxiety sensitivity, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and family accommodation are effective in the development of obsessional dissociation in individuals diagnosed with OCD.
Background. Panic disorder (PD) is associated with suicidality. Depression has been suggested as a link between PD and suicide; however, this remains controversial. Comprehensive research on the history of suicide attempt (SA) in patients with PD is scarce. We investigated the clinical characteristics of SA in patients with PD using PD-related assessments and network approaches. Methods. A total of 1151 participants were enrolled, including 755 patients with PD (97 with SA (PD+SA) and 658 without SA (PD-SA)) and 396 healthy controls. The Scale for Suicide Ideation and Panic Disorder Severity, Anxiety Sensitivity Inventory, and other PD-related measures were also administered. We compared symptom severity and analyzed the pharmacological treatment response in patients with PD with and without SA. Network analysis was used to estimate the centrality, stability, and network structures of the nodes. Results. Our results revealed that the scores for panic and depressive symptoms, pathological worry, anxiety sensitivity, and the frequency of early trauma were significantly higher in the PD+SA group than in the PD-SA group. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that short- and long-term pharmacological treatment responses were significantly poorer in the PD+SA group. Network analysis showed that fear of cognitive dyscontrol (FCD), as a cognitive aspect of anxiety sensitivity, was the central symptom through strength, expected influence (one and two steps), randomized shortest path betweenness, and eigenvector centrality measures in the PD+SA group. In contrast, depression was the central symptom of patients with PD-SA. Conclusion. Our study suggests that a history of SA could be associated with high panic-symptom severity and poor pharmacological treatment response in patients with PD and that FCD is the most central symptom in the PD+SA network. Central symptoms, such as cognitive aspects of AS in patients with PD+SA, may be clinically effective as potential targets for intervention in patients with PD at risk of or suffering from suicidality.
Durante la escolarización a todo individuo se le pueden presentar situaciones escolares que pueden desencadenar miedos. Este estudio pretende examinar las diferencias en rechazo escolar según altas y bajas puntuaciones en ansiedad anticipatoria y analizar la capacidad predictiva del rechazo escolar sobre la ansiedad anticipatoria. Participaron 879 estudiantes españoles entre los 8 y los 11 años. Los estudiantes con altas puntuaciones en ansiedad anticipatoria obtuvieron puntuaciones medias superiores en rechazo escolar y este fue un predictor positivo y estadísticamente significativo de ansiedad anticipatoria en la mayoría de los casos. Se discuten los hallazgos para mejorar la asistencia escolar.
Emerging adults with high levels of inhibited personality traits may be at-risk for drinking to cope during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current research explored mediational pathways between two inhibited personality traits (anxiety sensitivity (AS) and hopelessness (HOP)), internalizing symptoms (anxiety, depression, and COVID-19 distress), and coping drinking motives (drinking to cope with anxiety and drinking to cope with depression) during the pandemic. Cross-sectional data were collected from 879 undergraduate drinkers (79% female, 83% White, 18-25 years old) at five Canadian universities from January-April 2021. Participants self-reported on their personality, anxiety (GAD-7), depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), COVID-19 distress, and coping drinking motives. Mediational path analyses provided evidence of both specific and non-specific pathways between personality and coping motives via internalizing symptoms. Depressive symptoms partially mediated the link between HOP and drinking to cope with depression motives. While anxiety symptoms did not significantly mediate links between AS and coping with anxiety motives in the full model, evidence of mediation was found in a post-hoc sensitivity analysis. COVID-19 distress served as a non-specific mediator. AS and HOP are critical transdiagnostic risk factors that increase vulnerability for internalizing psychopathology and, in turn, risky drinking motives, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Introduction: Addiction is recognized as one of the major public health concerns around the world, with various negative consequences for individuals and communities.
Aim: This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of existential anxiety in the relationship between childhood emotional trauma, social support, and tendency to change in addicts.
Method: In this correlational study, structural equation modeling was applied. The study population consisted of male and female addicts, presenting to rehabilitation centers in Yazd Province, Iran, in 2019. Two-hundred addicts were selected using available sampling among individuals presenting to the rehabilitation centers of Yazd Province. To collect data, the Existential Anxiety Questionnaire by Wims et al. (2004), Childhood Injury Questionnaire by Bernstein et al. (1994), Perceived Social Support Scale by Zimet et al. (1988), and Miller and Tunigan’s Change Tendency Questionnaire (1996) were used. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, multiple regression analysis, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient test in SPSS-24 and AMOS-24.
Results: The results showed that emotional trauma and social support directly reduced and increased the addicts’ tendency to change, respectively (P
Black individuals who smoke in the United States experience health disparities related to tobacco use (e.g., greater nicotine dependence, less success in quitting smoking) and interoceptive distress (e.g., somatic symptoms, anxiety). Individual difference factors that amplify interoceptive distress and contribute to poorer smoking behaviors and outcomes warrant further attention and investigation. Thus, the present study sought to explore the association between anxiety sensitivity and clinically-relevant smoking variables of perceived barriers for quitting, smoking inflexibility, and problems experienced during past quit attempts. Participants in the current study included 98 Black adult smokers (71.4% male; Mage = 44.08 years, SD = 11.44 years). Results indicated greater levels of anxiety sensitivity were associated with greater levels of perceived barriers for quitting smoking (b = 0.10, SE = 0.08, p = 0.01), smoking inflexibility (b = 0.02, SE <.001, p <.001), and problems experienced during past smoking quit attempts (b = 0.17, SE = 0.07, p = 0.02). Clinical implications and future directions are further discussed as it relates to anxiety sensitivity and efforts to reduce or quit smoking for this health disparities population.
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