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 examined in a sample of 455 primary school children in Grades 3, 4, 5 and 6 at schools in metropolitan, regional and country areas of Victoria, Australia. Results revealed that children who reported high anxiety sensitivity together with high trait anxiety experienced significantly more anxiety symptoms than other children. Significant gender and age differences were also found in relation to anxiety sensitivity, trait anxiety and anxiety symptoms. Anxiety disorders are debilitating and interfere with normal development. If children with a predisposition to developing anxiety disorders could be identified as those who report high anxiety sensitivity together with high trait anxiety then early intervention could prevent the onset of anxiety disorders in adolescence or adulthood.