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Ataque de nervios: relationship to anxiety sensitivity and dissociation predisposition
Devon E Hinton1, Roberto Chong, Mark H Pollack
1Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA. devon_hinton@hms.harvard.edu
Depression and Anxiety
|June 16, 2007
Summary
Anxiety sensitivity, a fear of arousal symptoms, strongly predicts the presence and severity of ataque de nervios. Dissociation tendency was less influential in predicting this cultural syndrome.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry and Psychology
- Cultural Psychiatry
- Anxiety Disorders
Background:
- Ataque de nervios is a culturally recognized syndrome of distress observed in Latin American and Mediterranean cultures.
- Understanding the psychological underpinnings of ataque de nervios is crucial for effective clinical intervention.
- Previous research has explored various psychological factors, but the relative contributions of anxiety sensitivity and dissociation require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relative importance of anxiety sensitivity and dissociation tendency in the generation of ataque de nervios.
- To determine which psychological construct, fear of arousal symptoms or dissociation, is a stronger predictor of ataque de nervios.
- To examine the relationship between these psychological constructs and the severity of ataque de nervios.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 70 Puerto Rican patients from an outpatient psychiatric clinic participated in the study.
- Participants completed the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) and the Dissociation Experiences Scale (DES).
- Ataque de nervios frequency and severity were assessed, and logistic and linear regression analyses were performed.
Main Results:
- Patients with ataque de nervios reported significantly higher scores on the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) compared to those without.
- The ASI significantly predicted the presence of ataque de nervios (odds ratio=2.6), while the Dissociation Experiences Scale (DES) did not.
- Both ASI (beta=.46) and DES (beta=.29) significantly predicted the severity of ataque de nervios.
Conclusions:
- Anxiety sensitivity is a significant predictor of both the occurrence and severity of ataque de nervios.
- While dissociation also relates to severity, anxiety sensitivity appears to be a more critical factor in the presence of this cultural syndrome.
- Findings highlight the importance of assessing and addressing anxiety sensitivity in the clinical management of ataque de nervios.
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