Anxiety sensitivity and its dimensions across the anxiety disorders
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.
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Some studies explored the factor solution for the ASI within their sample and derived their own subscales before performing subsequent analyses.
“Some studies explored the factor solution for the ASI within their sample and derived their own subscales before performing subsequent analyses”
From Emotion and internal experience in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Reviewing the role of alexithymia, anxiety sensitivity and distress tolerance (2014) · cites this paper as Deacon & Abramowitz, 2006
The factor congruence between studies on the ASI has varied but has at least been explored.
“The factor congruence between studies has varied, but has at least been explored”
From Emotion and internal experience in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Reviewing the role of alexithymia, anxiety sensitivity and distress tolerance (2014) · cites this paper as Deacon & Abramowitz, 2006
Another also reported significantly higher ASI scores in the OCD group than the social phobia group, but only on one subscale (the respiratory subscale; the authors derived their own ASI factors based on the scores in their sample).
“Another also reported significantly higher ASI scores in the OCD group than the social phobia group, but only on one subscale (the respiratory subscale; the authors of this study derived their own ASI factors based on the scores in their sample)”
From Emotion and internal experience in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Reviewing the role of alexithymia, anxiety sensitivity and distress tolerance (2014) · cites this paper as Deacon & Abramowitz, 2006
These analyses included ratings on OCD measures by individuals with diagnoses other than OCD, and in one sample there were only 11 people with an OCD diagnosis.
“Although it should be noted that these analyses included ratings on OCD measures by individuals with diagnoses other than OCD, and in one sample there were only 11 people with an OCD diagnosis”
From Emotion and internal experience in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Reviewing the role of alexithymia, anxiety sensitivity and distress tolerance (2014) · cites this paper as Deacon & Abramowitz, 2006
In all studies patients with OCD scored significantly higher than the non-clinical groups on all ASI measures examined.
“In all studies patients with OCD scored significantly higher than the non-clinical groups on all ASI measures examined”
From Emotion and internal experience in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Reviewing the role of alexithymia, anxiety sensitivity and distress tolerance (2014) · cites this paper as Deacon & Abramowitz, 2006
In this study the OCD group scored significantly higher on the physical subscale than all other patient groups except panic.
“In this study the OCD group scored significantly higher on the physical subscale than all other patient groups except panic.”
From Emotion and internal experience in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Reviewing the role of alexithymia, anxiety sensitivity and distress tolerance (2014) · cites this paper as Deacon & Abramowitz, 2006
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References 64 · Cited by 216
- Authors
- Deacon, B., & Abramowitz, J.
- Affiliations
- University of Wyoming (US)
- Mayo Clinic (US)
- Corresponding author
- Deacon, Brett
- Venue
- Journal of Anxiety Disorders
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2006
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 837-857
- ISSN
- 0887-6185 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2000810244
- Cited by
- 216
- References
- 64
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 17
- FWCI
- 11.33
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Anxiety Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- anxiety sensitivity, anxiety disorders, somatic anxiety, social anxiety, cognitive anxiety, discriminant validity, treatment-seeking patients, psychopathology
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Anxiety Disorders, Factor Analysis, Statistical, Female, Humans, Male, Models, Psychological, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Personality, Phobic Disorders, Psychological Tests, Psychometrics, United States, Reproducibility of Results, Panic Disorder
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