Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is the fear of anxiety-related bodily sensations, which is thought to arise from beliefs that these sensations have harmful somatic, social, or psychological consequences ( Reiss & McNally, 1985). To illustrate, palpitations may be feared if the person believes they will lead to cardiac arrest; derealization is feared if the individual believes it is the harbinger of insanity; sweating or trembling are feared if the person believes these reactions will attract ridicule from others.
Since the 1980s, the concept of AS has attracted a great deal of attention from researchers and clinicians. More than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles on AS have been published during this period, and a press conference on AS sponsored jointly by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy (AABT) was held in 1996. Articles based on the press conference have appeared in The New York Times, the APA Monitor, and other newspapers. AS has generated a great deal of interest at conferences, as indicated by the numerous symposia and other conference presentations at AABT conventions over the past several years.
Why the growing interest in AS? There are three main reasons: theoretical, empirical, and clinical. First, recent theories of Reiss (e.g., 1991), Clark ( 1986), and others have postulated that AS and similar constructs play a central role in the etiology and maintenance of fear, anxiety, panic, and related reactions. Second, these theories have stimulated a great deal of research, including