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Articles 1 - 15 of 15
Full-Text Articles in Clinical Psychology
Does Anxiety Sensitivity Mediate Age-Related Differences In Anxiety In Middle-Aged And Older Adults?, Katherine F. Peterson
Does Anxiety Sensitivity Mediate Age-Related Differences In Anxiety In Middle-Aged And Older Adults?, Katherine F. Peterson
Theses and Dissertations
Anxiety is a mental illness that can have significant deleterious impacts on an individual’s functioning. Although anxiety has been studied in older adults, there is conflicting evidence on differences in anxiety as a function of age. Anxiety sensitivity is a construct that is positively related to anxiety but has limited research in older adults. Extant literature suggests that older adults experience less anxiety sensitivity than do younger adults. According to Socioemotional Selectivity Theory, this may be due to older adults letting go of the things that make them anxious. The current study proposed that age impacts self-rated anxiety such that …
The Role Of Prenatal Anxiety Sensitivity On Postpartum Anxiety And Depression, Ryann Holman
The Role Of Prenatal Anxiety Sensitivity On Postpartum Anxiety And Depression, Ryann Holman
Honors Theses
Pregnancy is a vulnerable period for women, with roughly 15% of women experiencing psychopathology during pregnancy and postpartum. The most common mental health concerns during this period are anxiety and depression, which have been linked to adverse outcomes on both mother and baby, such as low birth weight and preterm birth. In understanding their onset, anxiety sensitivity has been found to be a potential mechanism for the development of both anxiety and depressive disorders. The goal of the current study was to examine the association between prenatal anxiety sensitivity and postpartum anxiety and depression. Pregnant women were given a battery …
The Interaction Between Anxiety Sensitivity And Sleep Disturbance In Relation To Alcohol Use Among Adolescents, Gabrielle Meshell Armstrong
The Interaction Between Anxiety Sensitivity And Sleep Disturbance In Relation To Alcohol Use Among Adolescents, Gabrielle Meshell Armstrong
Honors Theses
Both substance use and sleep disturbance are common in adolescence. Additionally, alcohol use specifically is positively associated with a number of sleep disturbances. However, little to no research has examined factors that may influence the relation between problematic alcohol use and sleep disturbances among adolescents or adults. One factor that may be particularly important to consider in this regard is anxiety sensitivity (AS; i.e., the tendency to interpret unpleasant physiological sensations as dangerous). Among previous studies, anxiety sensitivity has been found associated with both increased alcohol consumption and sleep disturbances. The current study evaluated the main and interactive effects of …
The Role Of Anxiety Sensitivity In The Etiology Of Anxiety And Cognitive Symptoms Of Eating Disorders, Rachel Small-Crevier
The Role Of Anxiety Sensitivity In The Etiology Of Anxiety And Cognitive Symptoms Of Eating Disorders, Rachel Small-Crevier
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The present study examined common genetic and environmental contributions to the etiology of anxiety sensitivity, cognitive symptoms of eating disorders, and anxiety severity in a community sample of adolescents. I leveraged data from the Twins Early Development Study, a longitudinal epidemiological study of mono- and dizygotic twins born in England and Wales between 1994 and 1996. At age 16, families of twins (n=5,111) were assessed for anxiety sensitivity, cognitive symptoms of eating disorders (i.e., felt fat, fear of gaining weight, weight- and shape-influences thoughts about self), and anxiety severity. Strong phenotypic correlations among the four cognitive symptoms of eating disorder …
Breaking The Cognitive Spell: Cognitive Fusion Mediates The Relation Of Cognitive Anxiety Sensitivity And Rumination In Undergraduate College Students, Jacey L. Anderberg
Breaking The Cognitive Spell: Cognitive Fusion Mediates The Relation Of Cognitive Anxiety Sensitivity And Rumination In Undergraduate College Students, Jacey L. Anderberg
Honors Thesis
Rumination (i.e., intrusive and repetitive self-directed thinking) predicts the onset, severity, and maintenance of depression (Galecki & Talarowska, 2017). Ruminative behavior is positively associated with cognitive anxiety sensitivity (i.e., fear of losing internal control; CAS), which may be attributed to cognitive vulnerabilities of depression. However, researchers have not clarified the link between these variables, and mechanisms responsible for change in CAS following treatment are unclear (Tull & Gratz, 2008). Accordingly, clarification of intermediate factors that may be targeted in psychosocial interventions appears warranted. Cognitive fusion (i.e., engaging with thoughts as true reflections of reality rather than products of thinking; CF) …
Examining Race And Anxiety Sensitivity As Predictors Of Electronic Cigarette Use And Dependence, Carson Schmitz
Examining Race And Anxiety Sensitivity As Predictors Of Electronic Cigarette Use And Dependence, Carson Schmitz
Honors Theses
Electronic Cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have gained popularity among U.S. adults with rates of use significantly increasing over the past decade. As such, the current literature has begun to explore factors associated with e-cigarette use in significantly affected populations. Anxiety sensitivity (AS), the fear of the sensations associated with the experience of anxiety, is a known transdiagnostic risk factor for tobacco use. Additionally, higher AS has been shown to be associated with higher levels of e-cigarette use, greater perceived benefits of use, greater positive outcome expectancies, greater perceived risks of use, more quit attempts, and more difficulty quitting. Further, preliminary research focusing …
Acceptability, Anticipated Adherence, And Willingness To Begin Interoceptive Exposure: Examination Of The Influence Of A Values Rationale, Gina Quebedeaux Boullion
Acceptability, Anticipated Adherence, And Willingness To Begin Interoceptive Exposure: Examination Of The Influence Of A Values Rationale, Gina Quebedeaux Boullion
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Interoceptive exposure (IE) is a treatment entailing induction of feared physiological sensations that has emerged as the most efficacious component of cognitive behavioral treatments for panic disorder. However, small-to-moderate effect sizes, wide variability in response rates, and dropout rates indicate that panic disorder treatments may benefit from modifications to improve upon retention, response rates, and symptom reduction. Patient motivation and lack of engagement have been identified as factors to intervene upon. One specific direction that has gained increasing empirical interest is the inclusion of values identification; however, research has not yet examined the influence of values on motivation to engage …
Empirical Relationships Among Trauma Exposure, Anxiety Sensitivity, And Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Sandra Yankah, Michael Southam-Gerow, Samantha Dehart, Payton Beam
Empirical Relationships Among Trauma Exposure, Anxiety Sensitivity, And Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Sandra Yankah, Michael Southam-Gerow, Samantha Dehart, Payton Beam
Graduate Research Posters
This review synthesized and critically reviewed empirical studies that assessed relationships among trauma exposure, anxiety sensitivity (AS), and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Across the literature, the prominent theory conceptualized anxiety sensitivity as a causal risk factor within two competing models. One model posited that individuals with dispositionally high AS prior to experiencing a potentially traumatizing event (PTE) have a greater likelihood of developing PTSD after trauma exposure. The second model theorized that the introduction of a PTE raises an individual’s baseline level of AS, leading to the development and maintenance of PTSD symptoms. Emerging research highlighted the possibility of …
Nonmedical Use Of Prescription Drugs Among Young Adults: An Examination Of Anxiety Sensitivity, Distress Tolerance, And Emotion-Driven Impulse Control Difficulties, Sara Michelle Witcraft
Nonmedical Use Of Prescription Drugs Among Young Adults: An Examination Of Anxiety Sensitivity, Distress Tolerance, And Emotion-Driven Impulse Control Difficulties, Sara Michelle Witcraft
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Individuals with anxiety disorders are significantly more likely to develop substance use disorders than those without anxiety disorders (Kessler & Greenberg, 2002). Despite a sizeable body of literature focused on etiological and maintenance factors underlying the co-occurrence of substance use and anxiety pathology, this relationship remains poorly understood. Transdiagnostic factors, specifically distress tolerance, anxiety sensitivity, and emotion-driven impulse control difficulties, have been posited to contribute to the relationship of anxiety and substance abuse, and in particular, nonmedical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD; Dennhardt & Murphy, 2013; Wolitzky-Taylor et al., 2015). The current study examined group differences among the aforementioned transdiagnostic …
The Role Of Child Anxiety In Parent Sick Role Reinforcement, Sarah Ann Bilsky
The Role Of Child Anxiety In Parent Sick Role Reinforcement, Sarah Ann Bilsky
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
A large body of evidence suggests that parents can facilitate offspring anxiety in response to bodily arousal. These learning experiences are referred to as “sick role reinforcement,” and are particularly important during adolescence, given the profound bodily changes (e.g., puberty) that characterize this period. Sick role reinforcement is likely important in the context of panic disorder (PD). Panic theorists suggest that parents may enhance panic vulnerability by increasing the threat value of bodily sensations. Although a sizeable body of work has examined the role of parent behavior in these processes, few have examined offspring factors in this process. Additionally, little …
Individual Differences In Anxiety Sensitivity And Emotional Avoidance: Potential Links In The Association Between Internalizing Problems And Peer Victimization, Juventino Hernandez Rodriguez
Individual Differences In Anxiety Sensitivity And Emotional Avoidance: Potential Links In The Association Between Internalizing Problems And Peer Victimization, Juventino Hernandez Rodriguez
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Chronic peer victimization has been linked to short- and long-term problems such as anxiety, depression, and aggression (Hawker & Bouton, 2000; Reijntjes, Kamphuis, Prinzie, & Telch, 2010; Reijntjes, Kamphuis, Prinzie, Boelen, van der Schoot, & Telch, 2011). Most children are able to escape the role of stable victim, but some struggle to end victimization and the negative trajectory associated with it. The present study explored individual differences in anxiety sensitivity and emotional avoidance, developmental vulnerabilities that heighten children’s risk for internalizing problems, as possible predictors of children’s level of peer victimization. Participants were 677 fourth-grade students and their teachers. Multi-informant …
Understanding Adolescent Posttraumatic Stress: The Roles Of Biological Sex And Anxiety Sensitivity, Sophia K. Pawlewicz
Understanding Adolescent Posttraumatic Stress: The Roles Of Biological Sex And Anxiety Sensitivity, Sophia K. Pawlewicz
Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses
Over 60% of adolescents are exposed to a traumatic event, and a significant minority goes on to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is important to understand factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of this debilitating condition. Anxiety sensitivity (AS), defined as the fear of the consequences of anxiety, correlates positively with increased posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Research also suggests that females are more likely to develop PTSS. There are a number of limitations of this literature, however, including a lack of laboratory-based assessment of the relation between AS and biological sex on PTSS among adolescents. The current …
Anxiety Sensitivity As A Moderator For Ptsd Mediated Combat Exposure In Predicting Suicide Risk In A Military Sample, Barry Donovan Eye
Anxiety Sensitivity As A Moderator For Ptsd Mediated Combat Exposure In Predicting Suicide Risk In A Military Sample, Barry Donovan Eye
Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations
Suicide took almost 40,000 U.S. lives in 2011, with military rates exceeding the general population (and rising). Anxiety sensitivity (AS; the fear of fear) includes three components: physical, cognitive, and social. Recent studies indicate a connection between AS and suicidality through the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS). Separate research has proposed that the development of severe psychopathology, like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide, may be moderated by AS. The present study considered this mechanism from an IPTS perspective with a cross-sectional sample of veterans and active duty members from a Veterans Affairs clinic database. Regression models tested whether physical …
Individual Differences In Anxiety Sensitivity: The Role Of Emotion Regulation And Alexithymia, Amrit Kaur
Individual Differences In Anxiety Sensitivity: The Role Of Emotion Regulation And Alexithymia, Amrit Kaur
Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations
The literature has shown anxiety sensitivity to be a significant risk factor in the development of pathological anxiety. Recent theoretical models have also emphasized the additional importance of emotion regulation in predicting the development of anxiety disorders. The present study examined the interactive influence of anxiety sensitivity and emotion regulatory strategies on anxiety symptoms in an ethnically diverse sample recruited in Singapore in order to determine the most appropriate anxiety prevention strategies to pursue. Results indicate that emotion regulation skills had a much greater effect on anxiety levels in this non-clinical sample than anxiety sensitivity and, second, that emotion regulation …
Anxiety Sensitivity, Non-Acceptance, And Coping Motives For Alcohol Use, Jennifer Ann Shaver
Anxiety Sensitivity, Non-Acceptance, And Coping Motives For Alcohol Use, Jennifer Ann Shaver
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The present study probed the concurrent relation of two theoretically associated risk factors for coping-motivated substance use - non-acceptance of negative affect and anxiety sensitivity - with coping-motivated drinking frequency (drinking to cope). A two-factor model of coping-motivated substance use put forth by Brown, Lejuez, Kahler, Strong, and Zvolensky (2005) suggests that both non-acceptance and the physical and Social dimensions of anxiety sensitivity might be related to coping motives for substance use broadly. The present study represents a particularly stringent test of this model in the field of alcohol use motives. It was hypothesized that the individual facets of AS …