Anxiety sensitivity in social phobia: comparison between social phobics with and without panic attacks

The current study examines levels of anxiety sensitivity among social phobic patients with and without panic attacks. Two-hundred fourteen individuals with a primary diagnosis of social phobia completed the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) prior to treatment. Social phobics who experienced panic attacks reported higher levels of anxiety sensitivity than those without panic attacks. Patterning of response to ASI items differed between panicking and non-panicking patients, with the panicking patients reporting greater fear of catastrophic consequences of bodily sensations. Individuals with an additional diagnosis of panic disorder did not differ from those with exclusively situational panic attacks. The findings suggest the importance of examining differences between anxiety-disordered individuals who experience panic attacks and their non-panicking counterparts.