McLaughlin Katie A, Hatzenbuehler Mark L
Department of Psychology, Yale University.
J Abnorm Psychol. 2009 Aug;118(3):659-69. doi: 10.1037/a0016499.
Anxiety sensitivity represents a robust risk factor for the development of anxiety symptoms among both adolescents and adults. However, the development of anxiety sensitivity among adolescents remains inadequately understood. In this study, the authors examined the role of stressful life events as a risk factor for the development of elevated anxiety sensitivity. Anxiety sensitivity was then examined in a longitudinal design as a mechanism linking stressful life events to changes in anxiety symptoms. Stressful life events, anxiety sensitivity, and internalizing symptoms were assessed in a diverse community sample of adolescents (N = 1,065) at 3 time points spanning 7 months. The results indicated that stressful life events were longitudinally associated with increases in anxiety sensitivity and that certain types of stressful life events, specifically events related to health and events related to family discord, were differentially predictive of increases in anxiety sensitivity. Moreover, anxiety sensitivity mediated the longitudinal relation between stressful life events and anxiety symptoms. Evidence was also found for the predictive specificity of anxiety sensitivity to symptoms of anxiety but not depression.
焦虑敏感性是青少年和成年人出现焦虑症状的一个有力风险因素。然而，青少年焦虑敏感性的发展仍未得到充分理解。在本研究中，作者考察了应激性生活事件作为焦虑敏感性升高发展的风险因素所起的作用。随后，以纵向设计考察焦虑敏感性，将其作为连接应激性生活事件与焦虑症状变化的一种机制。在一个多样化的青少年社区样本（N = 1065）中，在跨越7个月的3个时间点对应激性生活事件、焦虑敏感性和内化症状进行了评估。结果表明，应激性生活事件与焦虑敏感性的增加存在纵向关联，并且某些类型的应激性生活事件，特别是与健康相关的事件和与家庭不和相关的事件，对焦虑敏感性的增加具有不同的预测作用。此外，焦虑敏感性介导了应激性生活事件与焦虑症状之间的纵向关系。还发现有证据表明焦虑敏感性对焦虑症状而非抑郁症状具有预测特异性。
