Elsevier

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Volume 46, Issue 9, September 2008, Pages 1017-1025
Behaviour Research and Therapy

Anxiety sensitivity and perceived control over anxiety-related events: Evaluating the singular and interactive effects in the prediction of anxious and fearful responding to bodily sensations

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2008.06.003Get rights and content

Abstract

The present investigation examined the singular and interactive effects of anxiety sensitivity and perceived control over anxiety-related events in the prediction of panic symptoms using a CO2-enriched air biological challenge. Two hundred and twenty-nine adult participants (Mage = 21.02, SD = 7.55, 124 females) were recruited from the greater Burlington, Vermont community. Results indicated that pre-challenge anxiety sensitivity, but not perceived control over anxiety-related events, significantly predicted post-challenge panic attack symptoms, anxiety focused on bodily sensations, and, interest in returning for another challenge (behavioral avoidance). In regard to physiological findings, anxiety sensitivity was significantly related to skin conductance level whereas perceived control over anxiety-related events was related to respiration rate. Neither anxiety sensitivity nor perceived control over anxiety-related events was related to heart rate. There also were no interactive effects between anxiety sensitivity and perceived control over anxiety-related events for any of the studied dependent variables. Results are discussed in relation to multi-risk factor models of cognitive vulnerability for panic psychopathology.

Section snippets

Participants

The sample consisted of 229 participants (Mage = 21.02, SD = 7.55, 124 females) who were recruited from the greater Burlington, Vermont community. Participants were recruited through the general community and university communities via newspaper ads and flyers advertising a laboratory study on ‘emotion.’ Overall, 92.6% of the sample was Caucasian, 1.7% was Hispanic, 1.3% was biracial, 0.9% was Asian, 0.9% identified themselves as “other,” and 0.4% was black. Some participants (2.2%) chose not to

Manipulation check of provocation paradigm

A paired-samples t-test indicated that the mean SUDS score post-challenge (M = 53.93, SD = 27.75) was significantly greater than the mean SUDS score pre-challenge (M = 16.11, SD = 15.47), t(223) = −20.55, P < H 0.001. In addition, paired-samples t-tests indicated that the mean heart rate, SCL, and respiration rate scores post-challenge (M = 91.87, SD = 14.47; M = 3.81, SD = 1.72; M = 19.75, SD = 4.09, respectively) were significantly greater than at the final minute of the pre-challenge time period (M = 81.55, SD = 10.35;

Discussion

The overarching aim of the present investigation was to examine the singular and interactive relationships between anxiety sensitivity and perceived control over anxiety-related events and panic-relevant responding in the context of a biological challenge paradigm. A number of novel observations were derived from the investigation, helping to elucidate cognitive vulnerability processes for panic-relevant responding to somatic perturbation.

Consistent with prediction, there was evidence that

Acknowledgments

This paper was supported by National Institute on Drug Abuse research grants (1 R01 DA018734-01A1, R03 DA16307-01, and 1 R21 DA016227-01) awarded to Dr. Zvolensky. This paper was the dissertation of Kristin Gregor at the University of Vermont, and was additionally supported by the McNeil Prevention and Community Psychology Dissertation Award, awarded to Kristin Gregor. The authors indicated no conflicts of interest.

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