Refinement of anxiety sensitivity measurement: The Short Scale Anxiety Sensitivity Index (SSASI)

Abstract

Anxiety sensitivity, defined as the fear of anxiety and arousal-related sensations, has been among the most influential cognitive-based transdiagnostic risk and maintenance factors in the study and treatment of emotional and related disorders. The currently available anxiety sensitivity measures are limited by their length. Specifically, the length of these instruments discourages the adoption of routine anxiety sensitivity assessment in clinical or medical settings (e.g., primary care). The goals of this study were to develop and assess the validity and reliability of a short version of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3; Taylor et al., 2007), entitled the Short Scale Anxiety Sensitivity Index (SSASI), using three independent clinical samples. Results indicated that the abbreviated five-item version of the SSASI had good internal consistency and a robust association with the ASI-3. Further, across the samples, there was evidence of unidimensionality and excellent convergent and discriminant validity. There also was evidence of partial measurement invariance across sex and full measurement invariance across time. Overall, the five-item scale offers a single score that can be employed to measure anxiety sensitivity. Use of the SSASI may facilitate screening efforts and symptom tracking for anxiety sensitivity, particularly within clinical settings where practical demands necessitate the use of brief assessment instruments.

Anxiety sensitivity mediates relations between anxiety (but not depression) and problematic smartphone use severity, adjusting for age and sex, in Chinese adolescents early in the COVID ‐19 pandemic

“…AS was measured using the Short Scale Anxiety Sensitivity Index (SSASI; Zvolensky et al, 2018 ; adapted from the Anxiety Sensitivity Index‐3 [ASI‐3; Taylor et al, 2007 ]). The SSASI consists of 5 items from the ASI‐3 (items 6, 8, 12, 14, and 18) that assess physical (e.g., “When I feel pain in my chest, I worry that I'm going to have a heart attack.”), cognitive (e.g., “When my thoughts seem to speed up, I worry that I might be going crazy.”), and social (e.g., “When I tremble in the presence of others, I fear what people might think of me.”) aspects of AS.…”

Psychological Distress and Physical Health Symptoms in the Latinx Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Exploring the Role of Anxiety Sensitivity

“…Respondents are asked to rate their sensitivity to anxiety on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 0 ( very little ) to 4 ( very much ). The SSASI has demonstrated sound psychometric properties in past work (Zvolensky et al, 2018 ); the SSASI total score (range from 0 to 20) had excellent internal consistency in the current sample (α = 0.86).…”

“…HSS 0.15* 0.11 0.02 0.24** 0.10 0.50*** 0.44*** 0.33*** 0.30*** 0.34*** – 4.56 4.00 12. FCV 0.08 0.01 0.07 0.30*** 0.42*** 0.51*** 0.52*** 0.38*** 0.68*** 0.67*** 0.65*** – 25.07 6.16 Gender: 0—Male, 1—Female; Education: 1—less than high school, 2—some high school, 3—completed high school, 4—ome college, 5—associates degree, 6—bachelor’s degree, 7—master’s degree, 8—doctoral degree; COVID exposure: 1—not at all, 2—a little, 3—much, 4—very much, 5—extremely, 6—decline to answer Anxiety Sensitivity SSASI (Zvolensky, 2018 ), EIC Emotional Impact of COVID-19 (Zvolensky et al, 2020a), HSS Health Symptom Severity of COVID-19 (Zvolensky et al, 2020b), FCV Fear of Coronavirus (Ahorsu et al, 2020 ) N = 188 * p < 0.05 ** p < 0.01 *** p < 0.001 …”

“…Anxiety Sensitivity SSASI (Zvolensky, 2018 ), EIC Emotional Impact of COVID-19 (Zvolensky et al, 2020a), HSS Health Symptom Severity of COVID-19 (Zvolensky et al, 2020b), FCV Fear of Coronavirus (Ahorsu et al, 2020 )…”

“…Short Scale Anxiety Sensitivity Index (Zvolensky et al, 2018 ) . The Short Scale Anxiety Sensitivity Index (SSASI) is brief version of the 18-item Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3; Taylor et al, 2007 ).…”