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Assesses Panic Disorder
- Assesses Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
- Assesses Dual Diagnosis (substance abuse &
anxiety disorder)
- Prospectively predicts panic attacks
- After therapy predicts relapse vs. durability of improvement
- More than 450 scientific articles
- Translated into 24 languages
In 1985 Steven Reiss and Richard McNally put forth the concept
of anxiety sensitivity, or the idea that anxiety is not equally
motivating to all people. People show important individual
differences in how they react to anxious arousal. Most people who
notice they are anxious - they may notice a pounding heart, sweaty
palms, or the "shakes" -- expect the anxiety to dissipate
when the situation that is worrying them is resolved. A small
percentage of people, however, misinterpret the signs of anxious
arousal as threatening. These people believe that a pounding heart
can lead to a heart attack, or that shaking is a sign of mental
illness. This group is said to have "high anxiety
sensitivity." More than 450 peer-reviewed validity studies have
shown that high anxiety sensitivity is linked to panic attacks, Panic
Disorder, and Posttraumatic Stress. These studies have played a major
role in our scientific understanding of the cognitive aspects of
anxiety disorders.
Anxiety sensitivity has become an established concept. It was
the subject of a national press conference co-sponsored by the
American Psychological Association and the Association for the
Advancement of Behavior Therapy. When we evaluate anxiety conditions,
we need to consider not just the amount of anxiety shown by the
client, but also the client's sensitivity to anxiety. Clients with a
propensity to panic when aroused have significantly less tolerance
for anxious situations than do other clients.
The ASI has been shown to prospectively predict military
recruits who are likely to panic under the stress of basic training.
The ASI is an established instrument. It has been translated
into 24 languages and is used in clinics throughout the world. The
official norms, compiled by Rolf A. Peterson and Steven Reiss in 1991
but still valid today, are based on studies that assessed 5,459
nonclinical participants and 1,821 diagnosed individuals.
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References
McNally, R. J. (2002). Anxiety sensitivity and panic disorder.
Biological Psychiatry, 52, 938-94.
Reiss, S. (1997). Trait anxiety: It's not what you think it is.
Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 11, 201-214.
Reiss, S., Peterson, R. P., Gursky, D.M., & McNally, R. J.
(1986). Anxiety sensitivity, anxiety frequency, and the prediction of
fearfulness. Behavior Research and Therapy, 24, 1-8.
Schmidt, M., Lerew, D. and Jackson, R. (1997). The role of anxiety
sensitivity in the pathogenesis of panic. Journal of Abnormal
Psychology, 106, 355-364.
Taylor, S. (Ed.), Anxiety Sensitivity: Theory, Research, and
Treatment, Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Weems, C. F., Haywood, C., Killerf, J., Taylor, C.B. (2002). A
longitudinal investigation of anxiety sensitivity in adolescence.
Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 111, 471-477. |
