Investigating The Relationship Between Anxiety Sensitivity And Chronic Illness: A Replication And Extension

In the United States, chronic illness and anxiety disorders are two of the largest burdens on the healthcare system. Almost half the population of the United States has been diagnosed with a chronic illness, and anxiety disorders are the most commonly diagnosed mental illness. The comorbidity between chronic illness and anxiety is fairly common and well-studied. Previous research has shown connections between anxiety and hypertension, heart disease, high cholesterol, and arthritis. One factor that may maintain the comorbidity between anxiety and chronic illness is anxiety sensitivity (AS) and its three subfactors: physical, social, and cognitive. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between the subfactors of AS and four chronic illnesses. In addition, the study looked at the role of anxiety sensitivity in those with multiple chronic illnesses and decreased quality of life. Data were gathered from a community sample of 1,002 community individuals. Significant relationships were found between hypertension and physical AS, and high cholesterol and cognitive AS. All subfactors of AS were related to having multiple chronic illnesses, and chronic illness was indicative of decreased quality of life.