Biomaterial Database

Role of anxiety sensitivity in pain-related fear and avoidance. 1996

G J Asmundson, and S Taylor

Department of Rehabilitation Research, Wascana Rehabilitation Centre, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is the fear of anxiety-related bodily sensations, arising from beliefs that the sensations have harmful consequences. There has been a good deal of research on the role of AS in anxiety disorders, and only recently have investigators begun to assess its role in other conditions. In a preliminary report, Asmundson and Norton (1995) found that chronic back-pain patients with high AS (n = 14), compared to those with lower AS (n = 56), reported greater pain-related fear, and tended to have greater avoidance. The present study further investigated the role of AS in pain-related fear and escape/avoidance. Patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain (N = 259) completed measures of AS, pain severity, and pain-related fear and escape/avoidance. Structural equation modeling supported the prediction that AS directly exacerbates fear of pain, even after controlling for the effects of pain severity on fear of pain. Support also was found for the prediction that AS indirectly promotes pain-related escape/avoidance via its influence on fear of pain. This indirect effect was significant even when controlling for the direct influence of pain severity on pain-related escape/avoidance. These results suggest that AS plays an important role in pain-related fear and escape/avoidance in people with chronic pain.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D010146	Pain	An unpleasant sensation induced by noxious stimuli which are detected by NERVE ENDINGS of NOCICEPTIVE NEURONS.	Suffering, Physical,Ache,Pain, Burning,Pain, Crushing,Pain, Migratory,Pain, Radiating,Pain, Splitting,Aches,Burning Pain,Burning Pains,Crushing Pain,Crushing Pains,Migratory Pain,Migratory Pains,Pains, Burning,Pains, Crushing,Pains, Migratory,Pains, Radiating,Pains, Splitting,Physical Suffering,Physical Sufferings,Radiating Pain,Radiating Pains,Splitting Pain,Splitting Pains,Sufferings, Physical
D011582	Psychological Theory	Principles applied to the analysis and explanation of psychological or behavioral phenomena.	Social Cognitive Theory,Psychologic Theory,Psychological Theories,Theories, Psychological,Theory, Psychological,Cognitive Theories, Social,Cognitive Theory, Social,Psychologic Theories,Social Cognitive Theories,Theories, Psychologic,Theories, Social Cognitive,Theory, Psychologic,Theory, Social Cognitive
D012044	Regression Analysis	Procedures for finding the mathematical function which best describes the relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables. In linear regression (see LINEAR MODELS) the relationship is constrained to be a straight line and LEAST-SQUARES ANALYSIS is used to determine the best fit. In logistic regression (see LOGISTIC MODELS) the dependent variable is qualitative rather than continuously variable and LIKELIHOOD FUNCTIONS are used to find the best relationship. In multiple regression, the dependent variable is considered to depend on more than a single independent variable.	Regression Diagnostics,Statistical Regression,Analysis, Regression,Analyses, Regression,Diagnostics, Regression,Regression Analyses,Regression, Statistical,Regressions, Statistical,Statistical Regressions
D002908	Chronic Disease	Diseases which have one or more of the following characteristics: they are permanent, leave residual disability, are caused by nonreversible pathological alteration, require special training of the patient for rehabilitation, or may be expected to require a long period of supervision, observation, or care (Dictionary of Health Services Management, 2d ed). For epidemiological studies chronic disease often includes HEART DISEASES; STROKE; CANCER; and diabetes (DIABETES MELLITUS, TYPE 2).	Chronic Condition,Chronic Illness,Chronically Ill,Chronic Conditions,Chronic Diseases,Chronic Illnesses,Condition, Chronic,Disease, Chronic,Illness, Chronic
D005163	Factor Analysis, Statistical	A set of statistical methods for analyzing the correlations among several variables in order to estimate the number of fundamental dimensions that underlie the observed data and to describe and measure those dimensions. It is used frequently in the development of scoring systems for rating scales and questionnaires.	Analysis, Factor,Analysis, Statistical Factor,Factor Analysis,Statistical Factor Analysis,Analyses, Factor,Analyses, Statistical Factor,Factor Analyses,Factor Analyses, Statistical,Statistical Factor Analyses
D005239	Fear	The affective response to an actual current external danger which subsides with the elimination of the threatening condition.	Threat Cues,Threat Sensitivity,Cue, Threat,Fears,Sensitivity, Threat,Threat Cue,Threat Sensitivities
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults