An investigation of anxiety sensitivity and associated factors in adolescents aged 12-18 years admitted to the child psychiatry clinic for outpatient treatment

Objectıve: In this study we aimed to evaluate the effects of adolescents' sociodemographic variables, behavioral inhibitions, emotional regulation difficulties, metacognition, coping strategies, parents' anxiety sensitivity, parents' attitudes towards adolescents, and parents' psychological symptoms on anxiety sensitivity of adolescents, and the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and psychiatric diagnoses of adolescents. Method: The study was conducted at Manisa Celal Bayar University Faculty of Medicine Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department Outpatient Clinic between December 2020 and June 2021. Adolescents aged 12-18 years with clinically normal intelligence, who applied to the outpatient clinic for the first time with any complaint or were under evaluation at that time and had not started any treatment and their parents were included in the study. The study does not have a control group. K-SADS-PL-DSM-5 (Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children, Now and Lifetime Version-DSM-5) was applied to all adolescents and their clinical diagnoses were determined. The clinical global impression scale was scored by the investigator to determine the disease severity of the adolescents. The sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the adolescents were determined by the form prepared by the researcher. Anxiety sensitivity index for children, behavioral inhibition questionnaire, difficulties in emotion regulation scale-short form, metacognitions questionnaire for children and adolescent, brief coping checklist for use with pediatric populations (KIDCOPE), the revised child anxiety and depression scale-child version were filled by adolescents. Anxiety sensitivity index–3, brief symptom inventory, parents attitude scale, and the revised child anxiety and depression scale-parent version were filled by parents. Results: This study determined that the anxiety sensitivity of the girls was higher than the boys, the anxiety sensitivity physical concerns subscale score increased as the age of the adolescents increased, the anxiety sensitivity physical concerns subscale score and the total anxiety sensitivity score were higher in the adolescents whose mothers had a psychiatric illness, adolescents whose fathers have high school education have higher anxiety sensitivity than adolescents whose fathers are pre-high school education, adolescents whose parents are not together have higher anxiety sensitivity social concerns subscale scores, regular smokers' anxiety sensitivity cognitive concerns subscale scores and total anxiety sensitivity scores are low, alcohol-drinking adolescents have lower anxiety sensitivity cognitive concerns subscale scores, adolescents whit self-harm have higher anxiety sensitivity cognitive concerns subscale scores than adolescent without self-harm. In our sample, it was determined that all anxiety sensitivity scores except the anxiety sensitivity social concerns subscale score of those with GAD diagnosis were high and the subscale that most affected the disease was the physical concerns subscale. It was determined that all anxiety sensitivity subscale scores, except for cognitive concerns subscale score, were higher in those with SAD diagnosis, and the subscale that most affected the disease was the social concerns subscale. It was determined that the anxiety sensitivity cognitive and social concerns subscale scores of those diagnosed with MDD were high, and the subscale that most affected the disease was the cognitive concerns subscale. There was no statistically significant difference in anxiety sensitivity scores between those with OCD and those without. All subscale scores and total anxiety sensitivity scores of those with ADHD/DD were found to be low. Disease severity; in multiple regression analyzes, total anxiety sensitivity, physical concerns subscale and cognitive concerns subscale were found to be effective in the reduced final model. Finally, in our study; a correlation was found between behavioral inhibition questionnaire, difficulties in emotion regulation scale, metacognitions questionnaire for children and adolescent, avoidant coping subscale of KIDCOPE and anxiety sensitivity of adolescents. Between adult anxiety sensitivity index, parents attitude scale, parent brief symptom inventory and adolescents anxiety sensitivity statistically significant correlation was not found. Conclusıons: Our study provides new data on anxiety sensitivity in adolescents, which is a relatively new topic in the literature. While the effects of some sociodemographic and clinical data of adolescents on anxiety sensitivity were shown, it was observed that parental variables did not have an effect on anxiety sensitivity. Three different subscales/dimensions of anxiety sensitivity have been shown to be associated with different clinical diagnoses. Anxiety sensitivity has also been associated with depressive disorders as well as anxiety disorders, and it has been realized that more research is needed for other mental disorders. Understanding anxiety sensitivity and related factors in adolescents can be beneficial in the treatment of mental pathologies and allows for early interventions. In addition, it may provide a chance to prevent psychopathologies that may develop in adult life in relation to these risk factors. Therefore, anxiety sensitivity in adolescents is a subject that needs further research.