Predictors of self-reported anxiety and panic symptoms: An evaluation of anxiety sensitivity, suffocation fear, heart-focused anxiety, and breath-holding duration

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to I-which anxiety-rela ted individual difference variables predict anxious responding when individ uals experience aversive bodily sensations. Thus, we explore several psycho logical and behavioral predictors of response to a single 25-sec inhalation of 20% carbon dioxide-enriched air in 70 nonclinical participants. Predict or variables included anxiety sensitivity, suffocation fear, heart-focused anxiety, and breath-holding duration. Multiple regression analyses indicate d that only anxiety sensitivity significantly predicted postchallenge panic symptoms, whereas both anxiety sensitivity and suffocation fear predicted postchallenge anxiety. These data are in accord with current models of pani c disorder that emphasize the role of "fear of fear" in producing heightene d anxiety and panic symptoms and help clarify specific predictors of anxiet y-related responding to biological challenge.