The effect of anxiety sensitivity and cognitive flexibility on symptom severity in anxiety and depressive disorders

This study aimed to determine the effect of anxiety sensitivity and cognitive flexibility on symptom severity in patients diagnosed with anxiety and depressive disorders. The population and sample of the study consisted of 115 patients with anxiety disorder and 230 patients with depressive disorder, who applied to the psychiatry outpatient clinic of a Training and Research Hospital. The data of the study were collected using a Personal Information Form, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3), and Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI). In the study, the mean scores of patients diagnosed with anxiety disorder were 33.30±10.73 for BAI, 53.89±14.25 for CFI, and 42.03±12.94 for ASI-3. The mean score of patients diagnosed with depressive disorder was 31.04±14.41 for BDI, 56.13±14.50 for CFI, and 42.85±16.23 for ASI-3. It was observed that the symptom severity of the patients was high, their cognitive flexibility was moderate, and their anxiety sensitivity was high. In the study, no significant difference was found between the ASI-3 total and BEE total and sub-dimensions, and the disease diagnosis variable (p>0.05). It was determined that patients with only anxiety disorder had a higher mean score in the ASI-3 scale Physical Symptoms, and patients with depressive disorder had a higher mean score in the Social Symptoms sub-dimension (p<0.05). In the study, a negative and moderate correlation was found between BAI and BAI, and a positive correlation between ASI-3 (p<0.001). It was found that there was a negative correlation between the mean BDI and BEE of the patients, and a positive correlation between ASI-3 (p<0.001). It was determined that the severity of symptoms increased as the anxiety sensitivity of the patients increased and their cognitive flexibility decreased. According to the multiple linear regression analysis, it was determined that cognitive flexibility and anxiety sensitivity predicted 27.9% of the change in BAS Inventory scores and anxiety sensitivity predicted 27.2% of the change in BDS. In symptom management of these patients, it is recommended to develop psychiatric approaches to increase their cognitive flexibility and reduce their anxiety sensitivity. Keywords: Anxiety, Anxiety Sensitivity, Depression, Cognitive Flexibility, Psychiatric Nursing.