Ethnoracial differences in anxiety sensitivity: Examining the validity of competing anxiety sensitivity index subscales

• Published in: Journal of anxiety disorders 2012-05, Vol.26 (4), p.511-516
• Main Authors: Hunter, Lora Rose, Keough, Meghan E, Timpano, Kiara R, Schmidt, Norman B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; African American; African Americans - psychology; American people; Anxiety; Anxiety - diagnosis; Anxiety - ethnology; Anxiety - etiology; Anxiety - psychology; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; Biological and medical sciences; Continental Population Groups - psychology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Ethnic Groups - psychology; European Continental Ancestry Group - psychology; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Personality Inventory; Predictive validity; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychiatry; Psychological Tests; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Race; Reproducibility of Results; Risk factor; Risk Factors; Selfreport; Sensitivity; Social anxiety; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0887-6185; 1873-7897
• DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2012.02.004

Abstract Despite the increasing number of Americans who are considered to be a part of an ethnoracial minority group, there have been few investigations of the cross-cultural validity of measures of psychopathology. The limited existing literature suggests potential differences between African American (AA) and European American (EA) individuals with respect to the utility of self-report measures, including anxiety sensitivity. Physical, mental, and social domains of anxiety sensitivity are measured using subscales derived from a 3-factor model reported in EA samples despite evidence suggesting that anxiety sensitivity in AA samples is characterized by more distinct physical concerns. The current study compared the concurrent and predictive validity of the traditional anxiety sensitivity subscales representing 3 domains and a 4-subscale formulation based on predictions about the construct in AA samples. Comparisons of both AA ( N = 41) and EA ( N = 298) samples are included. Findings suggest some ethnoracial group differences in the concurrent and predictive validity of anxiety sensitivity subscales, specifically supporting the appropriateness and specificity of the 4-factor model of anxiety sensitivity in AA samples. Implications are discussed, including identification of sociocultural mechanisms that might influence psychometric properties of measures of anxiety.