Anxiety sensitivity is a potential risk factor for posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and has been hypothesized to contribute to PTSS development. However, few prospective studies have evaluated whether anxiety sensitivity predicts PTSS. In a subsample of 48 women sexual assault survivors enrolled as part of a larger prospective observational study, elevated anxiety sensitivity measured via a brief assessment 1 week after experiencing a sexual assault was concurrently associated with PTSS at 1 week and prospectively predicted PTSS 6 weeks after the event, with small‐to‐medium effect sizes, η²_p = .10, even after covarying for trauma history. Heightened anxiety sensitivity at 1‐week postevent also interacted with time to predict anxiety and depression both before and after sexual assault, with medium‐to‐large effect sizes, η_p² = .21– .24. This is consistent with research linking anxiety sensitivity to PTSS, but this was the first prospective study of which we are aware to demonstrate that anxiety sensitivity in the acute posttrauma period predicts PTSS among women who have recently experienced sexual assault. Future research should use the full Anxiety Sensitivity Index to replicate findings in a larger sample and explore whether targeting anxiety sensitivity could mitigate the development of PTSS in this vulnerable population.

中文翻译：

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焦虑敏感性前瞻性地预测性侵犯后急性创伤后压力和相关症状的增加


焦虑敏感性是创伤后应激症状 (PTSS) 的潜在危险因素，并且被认为会导致 PTSS 的发展。然而，很少有前瞻性研究评估焦虑敏感性是否可以预测 PTSS。在作为一项更大的前瞻性观察研究的一部分而纳入的 48 名女性性侵犯幸存者的子样本中，通过在经历性侵犯后 1 周的简短评估测量到的焦虑敏感性升高与 1 周时的 PTSS 相关，并前瞻性预测性侵犯后 6 周的 PTSS。事件，具有小到中等的效应大小， η ² _p = .10，即使在创伤史共变之后也是如此。事件后 1 周的焦虑敏感性升高也与时间相互作用，可预测性侵犯前后的焦虑和抑郁，效应大小为中到大，η _p ² = 0.21-0.24。这与将焦虑敏感性与 PTSS 联系起来的研究是一致的，但这是我们所知的第一项前瞻性研究，证明急性创伤后时期的焦虑敏感性可以预测最近经历过性侵犯的女性的 PTSS。未来的研究应该使用完整的焦虑敏感性指数在更大的样本中复制研究结果，并探讨针对焦虑敏感性是否可以减轻这一弱势群体中 PTSS 的发展。