Anxiety sensitivity linked to future psychological disorders

A new study has found that people who become scared when experiencing a pounding heart, sweaty palms or dizziness are more likely to develop anxiety or panic disorder, even if the cause of the fear is merely stress, exercise or caffeine.

Other researchers have proposed a connection between this so-called “anxiety sensitivity” and a range of anxiety problems, but this study, led by Florida State University psychology professors N. Brad Schmidt and Jon Maner and University of Vermont Professor Michael Zvolensky, provides the first evidence that anxiety sensitivity is a risk factor in the development of anxiety disorders.

“The findings,” Schmidt said, “offer an exciting possibility for prevention of anxiety and panic reactions among high-risk individuals.” Schmidt explained that the key is to teach people cognitive and behavioral skills to reduce their anxiety sensitivity so that it does not lead to a more severe problem.

People with anxiety sensitivity perceive their physical responses to certain triggers as a sign of imminent danger. They not only fear their reactions, they also fear that other people will notice their anxiety, which only increases their anxiety level and puts them at risk for a panic attack.

While a single panic attack does not indicate development of a psychological disorder – in fact, some estimates indicate that about 20% of people will experience a spontaneous panic attack at some point in their lives – repeated occurrences do, Schmidt said.

“When people start having repeated panic attacks, plus a lot of what we call panic-related worry (worrying when the next attack will occur) and avoidance of things due to worry, this is when someone has a panic disorder, Schmidt explained.

Some people that suffer from panic disorder have a feeling of being out of control or even being on the verge of death. They soon develop a “fear of fear” and may begin to restrict their activities in an attempt to prevent more attacks.

The study followed 404 young men and women over a period of 2 years as part of an anxiety prevention study. After completing interviews and a battery of self-report measures, including the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), eligible participants were randomly assigned to either a treatment or control group.

The researchers discovered that people who scored high on the ASI during the initial assessment – whether they were assigned to the prevention or control group – were nearly twice as likely to have suffered spontaneous panic attacks and to have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder by the two-year follow-up point.

The findings appear in the December 2006 issue of the Journal of Psychiatric Research.

SOURCES: Schmidt, N.B., Maner, J.; Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA. Zvolensky, M., University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.

© Copyright 2007 Insight Journal Online Magazine.

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