Experiential avoidance and anxiety sensitivity in patients with panic disorders and normal controls

Available evidence suggests that both Anxiety Sensitivity (AS) and Experiential Avoidance (EA) are general vulnerability factors of panic disorders. The conceptualization of EA refers to emotional regulatory strategies that could overlap with AS. This study explores whether EA is related to, but is distinct from, AS. Participants included 34 outpatients with a clinical diagnosis of Panic Disorder, determined by the SCID-IV, and a control group (n = 45). of AS, EA, and anxiety were measured with standardized, self-administered questionnaires. Panic Disorder patients attained higher scores than normal controls on both EA and AS, beyond controlling for socio-demographic variables. Moreover, between-groups differences on EA remained when differences in AS scores were controlled. Partial correlations between EA and anxiety –controlling for AS- were statistically significant. Findings show EA as a vulnerability factor for panic disorders, and suggest that it may add unique explanatory power to psychological models of anxiety-related responding.