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.