Threat sensitivity mediates the association between perceived safety and anxiety in adolescents from urban communities

Carmen Carpenter; Autumm R Heeter; MacKenna M Shampine; Leah C Gowatch; Samantha L Ely; Amanpreet Bhogal; Emilie-Clare L O'Mara; Clara G Zundel; Nina M Lipanski; Breanna A Borg; Sharon Marshall; Laura J Benjamins; Hannah Schacter; Christopher Youngman; Hilary A Marusak

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.11.046

Threat sensitivity mediates the association between perceived safety and anxiety in adolescents from urban communities

J Psychiatr Res. 2024 Nov 29:181:294-297. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.11.046. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
² College of Medicine, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA; Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁶ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁷ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁸ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁹ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹⁰ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA; Department of Family Medicine & Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹¹ Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA; Wayne Pediatrics, Detroit, MI, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹² Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA; Wayne Pediatrics, Detroit, MI, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹³ Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹⁴ Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA; Wayne Pediatrics, Detroit, MI, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹⁵ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA; Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA; Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39637721
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.11.046

Abstract

Purpose: Despite the prevalence of violence exposure (VE) among youth and its link to increased risk for anxiety and related psychiatric disorders, few studies have examined potential mediators. The present study investigated the relationships among lifetime VE, perceived safety, threat sensitivity, and anxiety symptoms in adolescents from an urban minority community (Detroit, MI).

Methods: A sample of 54 adolescents (ages 14-18, 55.6% female) self-reported on VE, safety, threat sensitivity, and anxiety symptoms in an online survey. Linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations among these variables.

Results: Results indicated that perceived safety, but not VE, was significantly associated with lower anxiety and threat sensitivity. Furthermore, threat sensitivity mediated the association between perceived safety and anxiety symptoms.

Discussion: The findings of the present study highlight (1) the potential protective role of perceived safety and (2) threat sensitivity as a potential target for disrupting anxiety-related pathways in adolescents with VE.

Keywords: Anxiety disorders; Early adversity; Stress; Violence; Youth.