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The relationship between anxiety sensitivity and obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions
Michael G Wheaton1, Brittain Mahaffey, Kiara R Timpano
1University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
|February 11, 2012
Summary
Anxiety sensitivity (AS) predicts obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms, even when controlling for distress and obsessive beliefs. Different aspects of AS relate to specific OC symptom dimensions, suggesting a link between fear of arousal sensations and OC pathology.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is a known vulnerability for panic and PTSD.
- Research on AS and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms is limited.
- Understanding cognitive factors in anxiety disorders is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between anxiety sensitivity (AS) and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms.
- To determine if AS predicts OC symptoms beyond general distress and cognitive distortions.
- To explore differential associations between AS domains and OC symptom dimensions.
Main Methods:
- Administered dimensional measures of AS and OC symptoms to 636 undergraduate students.
- Included measures of general distress and obsessive beliefs as control variables.
- Utilized regression analyses to examine predictive relationships.
Main Results:
- Anxiety sensitivity (AS) significantly predicted OC symptoms, independent of control variables.
- Physical, social, and cognitive concerns within AS showed distinct associations with contamination, harm, symmetry, and thought-based OC symptoms.
- Preliminary evidence suggests AS is a relevant factor in OC symptomology.
Conclusions:
- Anxiety sensitivity (AS) appears to play a role in the manifestation of OC symptoms.
- Findings require replication in clinical samples of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
- Results have implications for understanding and potentially treating OC symptoms.
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