ELEVATED ANXIETY SENSITIVITY INDEX SCORES IN PATIENTS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSION - CORRELATES AND CHANGES WITH ANTIDEPRESSANT TREATMENT

Anxiety sensitivity has proven to be a valuable concept for understanding panic-related disorders. Norms now exist for the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) for patients with anxiety disorders and control samples, but anxiety sensitivity has not been well studied in depressed patients. We examined ASI scores in two samples of depressed patients and found elevations in die mid 20s (25.2), similar to scores for individuals with nonpanic anxiety disorders, including social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Among depressive symptoms, ASI scores were most strongly linked with dysfunctional attitudes and the severity of somatic symptoms. ASI scores decreased following treatment with antidepressant medication (fluoxetine) to levels comparable to control norms. Clinical and methodological implications of these findings are discussed.