Anxiety Sensitivity and Its Factors in Relation to Generalized Anxiety Disorder among Adolescents

Anxiety psychopathology, one of the most prevalent classes of disorder among youth, is linked to detrimental outcomes. Accordingly, identifying factors that influence vulnerability to anxiety disorders is important. One promising factor, given emerging evidence for its transdiagnostic nature, is anxiety sensitivity (AS); however, relatively little is known about the linkage between AS and indicators of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), particularly among youth. The aim of the current investigation was to address this gap in the literature using a community-based sample of adolescents aged 10–17 years (n = 165; M_age = 14.49 years, SD = 2.26). Results indicated global AS and the AS-physical concerns dimension were significantly associated with worry, generalized anxiety symptoms, and GAD diagnosis assessed via a structured clinical interview, above and beyond key theoretically-relevant covariates. These findings add to a growing body of work underscoring the relevance of AS for multiple types of anxiety-related disorders among youth.