Anxiety in Children — The Importance of the Anxiety Sensitivity Factor

Abstract

Anxiety sensitivity, the fear of anxiety-related bodily sensations, is a recently ldentified construct, which has become part of the conceptualisation of anxiety. Evidence in the research literature suggests that adults who have a high level of anxiety sensitivity combined with a high level of the more traditionally recognised trait anxiety reported a significantly higher incidence of anxiety disorders. The aim of the present study was to determine whether a high level of both anxiety sensitivity and trait anxiety in children results in more anxiety symptoms and therefore may be a risk factor for developing anxiety disorders. Anxiety sensitivity, trait anxiety and anxiety symptoms were exami..