Differences in anxiety sensitivity factors between anxiety and depressive disorders

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) refers to the tendency to fear physical sensations associated with anxiety due to concerns about potential physical, social, or cognitive consequences. Many previous studies were limited by the use of the anxiety sensitivity index (ASI) or the ASI-revised (ASI-R), which are both measurements with unitary or unstable structures. No recent study that has utilized the ASI-3 examined the relations between AS dimensions and depression. Thus, we examined multiple relationships between AS and anxiety disorders and depression using the ASI-3.

The total sample consisted of 667 outpatients, diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth text revision as assessed by a structured clinical interview. There were eight patient groups: multiple anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD), panic disorder (PD), social phobia (SP), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and anxiety disorder not otherwise specified (AD NOS). We conducted one-way analysis of variances and post hoc tests to compare the ASI-3 total and subscale scores across the groups.

The physical concern score was higher in patients with PD than patients with MDD, SP, OCD, or GAD. The social concern score was higher in the SP group than those with MDD, PD, GAD, and AD NOS. Patients with GAD and PTSD showed higher cognitive concern scores than the patients with PD.

Results partially replicated the relationship between PD and physical concern, between SP and social concern, and between GAD and cognitive concern examining the relationships between AS dimensions and anxiety disorders.