Vanden Bogaerde Anouk, De Raedt Rudi
Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Depress Anxiety. 2008;25(9):768-73. doi: 10.1002/da.20359.
Previous research has indicated that more than 50% of air travel passengers experience hypoxia above clinical threshold. This condition produces a number of aversive somatic sensations such as difficulty breathing, elevated heart rate, dizziness, etc. Because these symptoms closely resemble the somatic symptoms of anxiety, it is interesting to look into a possible relationship between hypoxia-related symptoms and fear of flying. More specifically, the aim of this study is to clarify the role of anxiety sensitivity as a cognitive vulnerability marker in this relationship. Anxiety sensitivity is the specific tendency to interpret bodily sensations as threatening or harmful. Our hypothesis is that anxiety sensitivity moderates the relationship between hypoxia-related symptoms and fear of flying. When people with high anxiety sensitivity fly and experience somatic symptoms, they will make threatening interpretations causing fear and as a possible consequence avoidance behaviour leading to flight anxiety. About 160 participants were asked to complete the Flight Anxiety Situations Questionnaire, the Flight Anxiety Modality Questionnaire and the Anxiety Sensitivity Index. Results of a moderator analysis indicated that the relationship between somatic sensations and in-flight anxiety is stronger for people with high anxiety sensitivity than for people with low anxiety sensitivity. So it seems that anxiety sensitivity does indeed function as a moderator between the experience of somatic sensations while flying and in-flight anxiety. Clinical implications are discussed, as well as suggestions for further research.
先前的研究表明，超过50%的航空旅客经历过高于临床阈值的低氧血症。这种情况会产生许多令人不适的躯体感觉，如呼吸困难、心率加快、头晕等。由于这些症状与焦虑的躯体症状非常相似，因此研究低氧血症相关症状与飞行恐惧之间可能存在的关系很有意思。更具体地说，本研究的目的是阐明焦虑敏感性作为这种关系中的认知易感性标志物的作用。焦虑敏感性是将身体感觉解释为具有威胁性或有害性的特定倾向。我们的假设是，焦虑敏感性会调节低氧血症相关症状与飞行恐惧之间的关系。当具有高焦虑敏感性的人飞行并体验到躯体症状时，他们会做出具有威胁性的解释，从而引发恐惧，并可能导致回避行为，进而引发飞行焦虑。约160名参与者被要求完成《飞行焦虑情境问卷》《飞行焦虑形式问卷》和《焦虑敏感性指数》。调节分析结果表明，高焦虑敏感性的人在躯体感觉与飞行中焦虑之间的关系比低焦虑敏感性的人更强。因此，焦虑敏感性似乎确实在飞行时的躯体感觉体验与飞行中焦虑之间起到了调节作用。文中讨论了临床意义以及对进一步研究的建议。
