The Influence of Hurricane Exposure and Anxiety Sensitivity on Panic Symptoms

Abstract

Trauma exposure has been associated with panic symptoms in adult samples, but little is known about the relationship between trauma and panic in children. Anxiety sensitivity (AS), or the fear of anxiety-related bodily sensations, may help explain the relationship between trauma and panic. To examine relationships among trauma, anxiety sensitivity, and panic symptoms, data were collected from youth in the New Orleans area 5-8 months after Hurricane Katrina (N = 302) and again 17-18 months after the hurricane (N = 110). At time one (T1), AS predicted panic symptoms beyond hurricane exposure. At time two (T2), AS measured at time two (T2) predicted panic symptoms beyond AS measured at T1. Clinical implications of the present findings are discussed.

Health concerns and perceptions of central and coastal New Jersey residents in the 100days following Superstorm Sandy

“…Mental illness and post-traumatic stress (PTSD) following disasters is a burgeoning field (Acierno et al, 2007; Galea et al, 2007; Neria et al, 2007; Hensley-Maloney and Varela, 2009), particularly given the increase in severe storms in coastal U.S. PTSD is the condition most often measured (Norris and Elrod, 2006), with an incidence of 30–40% among direct victim (Galea et al, 2005). In the present study, “stress” and “anxiety” were self-identified, but only 13 % of shore respondents volunteered “stress” as a concern.…”

“…It is challenging to determine costs for different aspects of recovery and preparedness (Schoenbaum et al, 2013), leading to development of sound public policy (Fairbank and Gerrity, 2007). Numerous studies have focused on trauma (Neria et al, 2008; Hensley-Haloney and Varela, 2009), health risks and effects (Aciermo et al, 2007; Ruggiero et al, 2009; Barbeau et al, 2010), mold (Brandt et al, 2006), evacuation and relocation (Uscher-Pines, 2009), and risk communication (Reynolds and Seeger, 2005)…”

COVID-19 and Anxiety Sensitivity Across Two Studies in Argentina: Associations with COVID-19 Worry, Symptom Severity, Anxiety, and Functional Impairment

“…Although literature examining AS in terms of COVID-19-specific mental health factors, particularly among Latinx persons, is non-existent, past related work suggests that AS may partially explain (mediate) the relationship between stressful life events and anxiety symptoms (McLaughlin and Hatzenbuehler 2009 ). Additional work from past large-scale natural disasters, particularly hurricanes, suggests that AS is related to panic disorder symptoms over and above the variance accounted for by trauma exposure (Hensley-Maloney and Varela 2009 ), and AS amplifies the effects of trait anxiety on somatic symptom presentation (Hensley and Varela 2008 ). Prospective research following a school shooting found that AS was significant associated with anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms (Boffa et al 2016 ).…”

Traumatic Stress and Long-Term Recovery

“…In particular, previous research has documented that pre-hurricane trait anxiety and negative affect levels predict PTSD symptoms above and beyond exposure to the trauma (La Greca, Silverman, & Wasserstein, 1998;. Anxiety sensitivity is another trait that has been studied in relation to hurricane exposure and panic (Hensley-Maloney & Varela, 2009). The authors assessed youth at 5-8 months and 17-18 months post Katrina and found that while hurricane exposure and anxiety sensitivity did predict panic symptoms at the initial assessment, the association between exposure and panic was not significant when youth were assessed at 17-18 months post disaster.…”