Identification of anxiety sensitivity classes and clinical cut-scores in a sample of adult smokers: results from a factor mixture model

J Anxiety Disord. 2014 Oct;28(7):696-703. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.07.006. Epub 2014 Jul 19.

Abstract

Anxiety sensitivity (AS), a multidimensional construct, has been implicated in the development and maintenance of anxiety and related disorders. Recent evidence suggests that AS is a dimensional-categorical construct within individuals. Factor mixture modeling was conducted in a sample of 579 adult smokers (M age=36.87 years, SD=13.47) to examine the underlying structure. Participants completed the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 and were also given a Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR. Three classes of individuals emerged, a high AS (5.2% of the sample), a moderate AS (19.0%), and a normative AS class (75.8%). A cut-score of 23 to identify high AS individuals, and a cut-score of 17 to identify moderate-to-high AS individuals were supported in this study. In addition, the odds of having a concurrent anxiety disorder (controlling for other Axis I disorders) were the highest in the high AS class and the lowest in the normative AS class.

Keywords: Anxiety disorders; Anxiety sensitivity; Clinical cut-score; Factor mixture modeling.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Anxiety / psychology*
  • Anxiety Disorders / classification
  • Anxiety Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
  • Fear*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • ROC Curve
  • Self Report
  • Smoking / psychology*
  • Smoking Cessation
  • Young Adult