Refinement and Examination of a Brief Anxiety Sensitivity Focused Intervention

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in the United States and result in substantial burden to the individual and society. While effective cognitive-behavioral treatments for anxiety disorders have been developed and well-studied, there has been substantially less focus on interventions aimed at the amelioration of risk factors related to the development of anxiety psychopathology. Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is a well-established, malleable risk factor for panic disorder and other psychopathology. Due to the risk that AS conveys, the development and validation of AS targeted interventions could substantially address the public health burden associated with anxiety psychopathology. The overall aim of the current investigation was to enhance the efficacy of AS treatment through the refinement of a previously validated intervention. This one-session intervention (ASERT) utilized psychoeducation and interoceptive exposure (IE) to target AS and was compared to a health-focused control intervention (PHET) among a sample (N = 104) of individuals with elevated AS. Results indicate that the ASERT group demonstrated significantly greater reductions in AS at posttreatment and across the one month study period than the PHET group. These treatment gains were seen across the physical, social, and cognitive ASI subscales. A month six follow-up assessment indicated that the ASERT group retained the majority of their AS reduction while the PHET group retained their elevated AS scores.