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Anxiety Sensitivity: Assessing Factor Structure and Relationship to Multidimensional Aspects of Pain in Injured Workers

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Abstract

Anxiety sensitivity is defined as a fear of anxiety-related thoughts and bodily sensations based on the belief that they will be harmful. Recently, anxiety sensitivity has been found to predict fear of pain, avoidance behavior, and emotional status in chronic pain patients. However, studies in pain populations have treated anxiety sensitivity as unidimensional despite evidence from other clinical groups that it may comprise multiple dimensions. This study explored the dimensionality of anxiety sensitivity in 271 patients with work-related injuries and assessed the relationship between identified dimensions and measures of pain and pain adjustment. Results indicated that anxiety sensitivity comprised two-factors: (1) fear of somatic sensations, and (2) fear of cognitive and emotional dyscontrol. The first factor was uniquely associated with pain severity, pain-related avoidance, and fearful appraisals of pain. The second factor, on the other hand, was uniquely associated with negative affect. Results support the multidimensional conceptualization of anxiety sensitivity and suggest that its dimensions may be differentially related to specific aspects of pain experience. Implications for considering anxiety sensitivity in pain assessment as well as future research directions are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Regina Health District, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

    Gordon J. G. Asmundson, Inger K. Frombach & Heather D. Hadjistavropoulos

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  1. Gordon J. G. Asmundson
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  2. Inger K. Frombach
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  3. Heather D. Hadjistavropoulos
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Correspondence to Gordon J. G. Asmundson.

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Asmundson, G.J.G., Frombach, I.K. & Hadjistavropoulos, H.D. Anxiety Sensitivity: Assessing Factor Structure and Relationship to Multidimensional Aspects of Pain in Injured Workers. J Occup Rehabil 8, 223–234 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021382624491

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