Trait anxiety predicts panic behavior in beginning scuba students

Recreational scuba diving is associated with a significant number of fatalities and decompression illnesses each year, and there is evidence that permanent neuropsychological injury can occur in divers. There is also evidence that the principal cause of decompression illness and fatalities in divers is rapid ascent, and it appears that the primary stimulus for rapid ascent is panic. The primary purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the extent to which an objective measure of trait anxiety could be effective in predicting panic behavior in students undergoing scuba training. Trait anxiety was assessed at the outset of scuba instruction in 42 students, and the instructor recorded instances of panic behavior during the 4-month course. It was predicted that individuals scoring 39 or greater on the trait anxiety sub-scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory would be more likely to experience panic behavior than individuals with scores below this cut-off. Predictions and actual recordings of panic behavior were performed independently using a blinded paradigm. Eleven of the students exhibited panic behavior on two or more occasions during the instruction, and 35 of 42 (83 %) predictions were accurate (p < 0.001). It is concluded that an objective measure of trait anxiety can be employed a priori for prediction of panic behavior in beginning scuba students.