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Updated: Jun 5, 2025

Using the Threat Probability Task to Assess Anxiety and Fear During Uncertain and Certain Threat
Published on: September 12, 2014
Threat sensitivity mediates the association between perceived safety and anxiety in adolescents from urban
Carmen Carpenter1, Autumm R Heeter2, MacKenna M Shampine1
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.
Purpose:
Despite the prevalence of violence exposure (VE) among youth and its link to increased risk for anxiety and related psychiatric disorders, few studies have examined potential mediators. The present study investigated the relationships among lifetime VE, perceived safety, threat sensitivity, and anxiety symptoms in adolescents from an urban minority community (Detroit, MI).
Methods:
A sample of 54 adolescents (ages 14-18, 55.6% female) self-reported on VE, safety, threat sensitivity, and anxiety symptoms in an online survey. Linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations among these variables.
Results:
Results indicated that perceived safety, but not VE, was significantly associated with lower anxiety and threat sensitivity. Furthermore, threat sensitivity mediated the association between perceived safety and anxiety symptoms.
Discussion:
The findings of the present study highlight (1) the potential protective role of perceived safety and (2) threat sensitivity as a potential target for disrupting anxiety-related pathways in adolescents with VE.
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