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This study examines select psychometric properties (i.e., internal reliability, and factorial, convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity) of three commonly-used measures of anxiety disorder symptoms in adolescents in the context of multi-trait, multi-method matrix analyses. A sample of 331 adolescents (age M = 17.1; 75.3% white; 71.0% female) completed three self-report scales that assess symptoms of separation anxiety, social anxiety, panic, and generalized anxiety, as well as measures of depression, experiential avoidance, and intolerance of uncertainty. Measures of panic disorder symptoms showed poor factorial, convergent, and discriminant validity. A multi-trait, multi-method matrix model to understand the relationships among the measures of separation anxiety, social anxiety, and generalized anxiety symptoms provided a reasonable fit to the data. Measures of separation anxiety showed poor discriminant and criterion validity, suggesting limited relevance of separation anxiety in this adolescent sample. Measures of social anxiety generally showed evidence of adequate-to-good factorial, convergent, and discriminant validity. Measures of generalized anxiety showed adequate –to-good factorial and convergent validity, and poor-to-adequate discriminant validity. The associations of measures of social and generalized anxiety with measures of depression, experiential avoidance, and intolerance of uncertainty were at least partially independent of method variance. The findings of this study add to the growing literature that evaluates the strengths and limitations of these scales for clinical practice and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this investigation was to examine discrepancies among three informants' (adolescents, mothers, and observers) reports of maternal consulting in regard to peer relationships and the relation of the discrepancies to four social adjustment variables (prosocial behavior, loneliness, positive friendship quality, and physical victimization). An ethnically diverse sample of 70 early adolescents (51 % female) and their mothers participated in this multimethod investigation. Adolescent reports of parental consulting, but not mother or observer reports, were significantly associated with adolescent reports of four psychosocial outcomes. Recognizing that comparison of equivalent regression models can inform interpretations of the data such as the monomethod associations found in this study, this article describes and discusses a strategy for analyzing data from multiple informants. The associations of adolescent reports of parental consulting with loneliness and physical victimization could be fully explained in terms of adolescent bias or other systematic variance uniquely associated with adolescent reports, but those with prosocial behavior and positive friendship quality could not. The view that discrepancies between mother and adolescent reports of parental consulting reflect poor relationship quality appeared most applicable in models of positive friendship quality, somewhat applicable in models of prosocial behavior and physical victimization, and not applicable in models of loneliness. The view that discrepancies might reflect normative and adaptive autonomy was not supported. In addition to adding to our understanding of maternal consulting in regard to peer relationships, it is also hoped that the analytic approach developed for this study will stimulate developments in research that uses multiple informants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from a large nonclinical sample ( N = 503), the current study examined the convergence and utility of the Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI; Salkovskis et al., in Psychol Med 32:843-853, ) and the Multidimensional Inventory of Hypochondriacal Traits (MIHT; Longley et al., in Psychol Assess 17: 3-14, ). Results from a higher-order measurement model indicated that the SHAI and the MIHT factors were distinguishable and generally shared significant intercorrelations. The affective factor of the SHAI and the MIHT shared the strongest convergence and the MIHT cognitive factor clustered with both affective factors. Further, a higher-order health anxiety factor adequately accounted for SHAI-MIHT factor intercorrelations, with the affective and cognitive factors of the SHAI and the MIHT loading strongest upon the higher-order factor. Finally, only the affective and cognitive SHAI and MIHT scales incrementally contributed-beyond general distress and the other SHAI and MIHT scales-in regression analyses predicting medical utilization and somatic symptoms. Implications for the conceptualization and assessment of health anxiety are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined whether intolerance of uncertainty (IU) moderates the relationship between catastrophic health appraisals and health anxiety. Specifically, appraisals that ambiguous symptoms are the sign of a catastrophic health concern are proposed to be better tolerated by some individuals (i.e., those with low IU) than others (i.e., those with high IU). A large sample of medically healthy college students ( N = 412) completed a scenario-based measure assessing the tendency to attribute ambiguous body sensations and symptoms to either catastrophic (i.e., catastrophic health appraisals) or minor (i.e., minor health appraisals) health concerns, as well as self-report measures of IU and health anxiety. Consistent with predictions, catastrophic health appraisals were only significantly associated with health anxiety at high levels of IU. Moreover, and showing a degree of specificity, IU did not moderate the relationship between minor health appraisals and health anxiety. Conceptual and therapeutic implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive theorists maintain that maladaptive cognitions play an important role in the formation and maintenance of social anxiety disorder. The Social Thoughts and Beliefs Scale (STABS; Turner et al. Psychol Assessment 15:384–391, 2003) was developed to assess the broad domain of cognitions associated with social anxiety in a clinical sample. The present study with 469 college students examined the applicability of the STABS with a non-clinical sample and its relation with social anxiety symptoms and indices of interpersonal functioning. The STABS scales showed good reliability (internal consistency), adequate convergent and discriminant validity, and acceptable concurrent and incremental concurrent validity in predicting social interaction anxiety or outcomes of interpersonal functioning. The STABS appears to have good psychometric properties measuring two dimensions, assessing thoughts of social comparisons and thoughts of social ineptness, and appears to be appropriate for use with non-clinical samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study tests explanations of why some people experience intrusive thoughts as problematic, and others experience them as benign. Six-hundred and ninety non-clinical participants completed questionnaires. Results provide support for the hypothesis that the interaction between three variables (i.e., shame-proneness, thought action fusion-morality beliefs and obsessions) predicts compulsions. The relationship between obsessions and compulsions was stronger as a function of shame-proneness and thought action fusion-morality beliefs, such that the highest levels of compulsions were found for those who had the highest levels on all three predictors. No support was found for the hypothesis that the relationship of these three predictors with compulsions is mediated by intrusion-related self-inferences, nor for the hypothesis that another interaction between three variables (i.e., guilt-proneness, TAF-likelihood beliefs, and obsessions) also predicts compulsions. These results are consistent with the ideas that shame and thought action fusion beliefs play a role in the development of obsessive compulsive disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary conceptualizations of hypochondriasis (HC) as severe health anxiety have led to the development of cognitive-behavioral approaches to understanding, assessing, and treating this problem. The Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI) is a new instrument that measures cognitive factors associated with HC. In the present study, we examined the psychometric properties and factor structure of the SHAI in a large sample of medically healthy university students. We also examined the scale’s convergent, divergent, and predictive validity. Results indicated that the SHAI has good psychometric properties and contains three factors that assess the perceived likelihood and perceived severity of becoming ill, and body vigilance. Facets of health anxiety uniquely predicted increased safety-seeking behavior and medical utilization, behaviors that are commonly observed in HC. Results are discussed in terms of the cognitive-behavioral model of HC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A path model was tested in an ethnically diverse sample of 350 college students in which shyness, sociability, and parental support for the college transition were related to loneliness and friendship quality. Furthermore, friendship quality and loneliness were related to depression and anxiety. High levels of shyness, low levels of sociability, and low levels of parental support were related to high levels of loneliness. High levels of parental support for the college transition were related to more positive friendship quality. Multiple regression analyses suggested that loneliness, but not friendship quality, were related to adolescents’ anxiety and depression. In addition, the interaction between shyness and sociability was significantly related to anxiety for African-American adolescents such that adolescents who reported low levels of sociability in combination with high levels of shyness reported the highest levels of anxiety. There was also a significant interaction between sociability and parental support for African-American adolescents such that high levels of sociability in combination with low levels of parental support for the college transition were related to high levels of anxiety. For White adolescents, only loneliness was related to anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of the present study was to examine the factor structure of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI; S. Reiss, R. A. Peterson, D M. Gursky, & R. J. McNally, 1986) and the replicability, reliability, and validity of its dimensions in a nonclinical sample. One-thousand-and-seventy-one undergraduate volunteers completed the ASI and a modified version of the Panic Attack Questionnaire (PAQ; G. R. Norton, J. Dorward, & B. J. Cox, 1986). A principal components analysis, using oblique rotation and parallel analysis, yielded three ASI dimensions that were highly consistent with those reported in previously published studies. Individuals classified as nonclinical panickers scored higher than nonpanickers on the Physical Concerns and Cognitive Concerns subscales of the ASI. Although spontaneous panic attacks were not significantly related to scores on any ASI scale, the occurrence of panic attacks in the past month was related to higher scores on the Cognitive Concerns subscale. The results are discussed in terms of cognitive theories of panic, and limitations of the present study and directions for future research are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Report on two studies that examined predictions derived from Reiss and McNally's expectancy model of fear behavior and Bandura's self-efficacy theory. Anxiety sensitivity; Behavioral Approach Test; Danger and anxiety components; Phobic behavior due to expectancy of harm and danger; Heart-rate reactivity.

Examines the interrelationship among parental support, adaptive coping strategies and psychological adjustment among late adolescents in the United States. Role of paternal support; Use of `resources model' of coping; Influence of familial experiences in adaptive functioning; Individual differences in coping styles.