Anxiety Sensitivity in Adolescence and Young Adulthood: The Role of Stressful Life Events, 5httlpr and Their Interaction

Abstract

Background: Cognitive biases have long been hypothesized to influence the development and maintenance of symptoms of internalizing problems. Anxiety sensitivity represents one such bias and refers to sensitivity to the physical and emotional symptoms of anxiety and the belief that these are harmful. Twin studies indicate a role for both environmental and genetic influences on anxiety sensitivity. However, little work has been done specifying environments or genes involved in this phenotype. In light of this, we looked at the association between stressful life events, the serotonin transporter gene polymorphism (5HTTLPR), and anxiety sensitivity in a longitudinal sample of adolescents. Methods: Stressful life events and anxiety sensitivity were measured in over 1,500 individuals at three time points (mean ages 15, 17, and 20 years). 5HTTLPR was genotyped in 1,109 participants. Results: There was consistent evidence for an association between stressful life events and both anxiety sensitivity and change in anxiety sensitivity over time. Although the effect of independent stressful life events was relatively short lived, dependent stressful life events were associated with anxiety sensitivity over time. There was no evidence for a main effect of 5HTTLPR on anxiety sensitivity. 5HTTLPR genotype did not moderate the effect of stressful life events on anxiety sensitivity. Conclusions: The current study extends previous work by showing that stressful life events, independent of the individual, explained change in cognitions associated with anxiety and depression. This effect does not, however, appear to be moderated by genotype. Depression and Anxiety 29:400-408, 2012.C 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Understanding the Role of Dimensions of Perfectionism on Anxiety Sensitivity

“…When people experiencing high anxiety become anxious, they pay greater attention to their arousal-related sensations and this further amplifies their anxiety. This finding is consolidated by the evidence showing that people having various types of anxiety disorders experience more anxiety sensitivity when compared to control participants and the higher the current level of anxiety, the higher the risk for displaying future anxiety symptoms [37,64].…”

“…Anxiety sensitivity contributes to the differences observed in the extent to which general fearfulness is experienced by different individuals and in the extent to which tendency for various types of anxiety disorders such as panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobia, and posttraumatic stress disorder exhibited by different individuals [34,36,37,50,64,65]. When people experiencing high anxiety become anxious, they pay greater attention to their arousal-related sensations and this further amplifies their anxiety.…”

Genetics of anxiety disorders: Genetic epidemiological and molecular studies in humans

“…Similar to candidate gene studies reviewed above, G × E studies mainly focus on the serotonin, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis (e.g., CRHR1 ), and neurotrophin systems (e.g., BDNF ) in predicting AD. The most extensively investigated gene in relation to environment is serotonin transporter ( SLC6A4 , its functional promoter length polymorphism 5‐HTTLPR ) . Gunthert et al .…”

“…The most extensively investigated gene in relation to environment is serotonin transporter (SLC6A4, its functional promoter length polymorphism 5-HTTLPR). [53][54][55][56][57] Gunthert et al and Stein et al reported that the short variant modified the effect of current daily stress or previous childhood maltreatment on anxiety sensitivity, which may be a potential endophenotype of AD. 53,56 In contrast, Klauke et al and Laucht et al reported that long allele homozygotes with childhood maltreatment or family adversity displayed higher anxiety sensitivity and AD rates, respectively.…”

No gene-by-environment interaction of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and childhood maltreatment on anxiety sensitivity in a mixed race adolescent sample

“…Moreover, AS is thought to be interactively impacted by additive genetic factors as well as unique environmental factors (Garcia et al, 2013; Stein et al, 1999), such as stressful life events (Aktekin et al, 2001; Zavos et al, 2012), including CM and severe family conflict (McLaughlin & Hatzenbuehler, 2009; Scher & Stein, 2003), demonstrating the interactive effect of genes and environment on AS.…”