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Anxiety sensitivity: a missing piece to the agoraphobia-without-panic puzzle
Chris Hayward1, Kimberly A Wilson
1Stanford University, CA 94305-5722, USA. hayward@stanford.edu
Behavior Modification
|February 20, 2007
Summary
Agoraphobia without panic attacks is often seen in population surveys. High anxiety sensitivity may explain agoraphobic avoidance in individuals who have never experienced panic attacks.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Anxiety Disorders
Background:
- Agoraphobia diagnosis without panic attacks presents a diagnostic challenge.
- While rare in clinical settings, it is prevalent in population surveys.
- The etiology of agoraphobic avoidance in the absence of panic remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of anxiety sensitivity in agoraphobia without panic attacks.
- To propose anxiety sensitivity as a risk factor for agoraphobic avoidance.
- To review preliminary evidence supporting this hypothesis.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on agoraphobia and anxiety sensitivity.
- Analysis of population-based survey data addressing agoraphobia prevalence.
- Examination of theoretical links between anxiety sensitivity and avoidance behaviors.
Main Results:
- Agoraphobia without panic is more common in general populations than in clinical samples.
- Anxiety sensitivity, a dispositional trait, may mimic panic-like symptoms.
- Preliminary evidence suggests a correlation between high anxiety sensitivity and agoraphobic avoidance.
Conclusions:
- Anxiety sensitivity is a potential key factor in understanding agoraphobia without panic attacks.
- High anxiety sensitivity may predispose individuals to develop agoraphobic avoidance.
- Further research is warranted to confirm the role of anxiety sensitivity in this condition.
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