Randomized Clinical Trial Investigating the Effects of an Anxiety Sensitivity Intervention on Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms: A Replication and Extension

A growing body of research suggests the importance of anxiety sensitivity (AS) in the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Specifically, AS cognitive concerns (fears of cognitive dyscontrol) may be particularly relevant for those with elevated PTSS. Preliminary research has suggested that interventions targeting AS may be beneficial in decreasing PTSS, but to date there has been no randomized controlled trial testing the direct and indirect effects of an AS cognitive concerns intervention among a clinical sample of trauma-exposed individuals. The current study tested these effects among a sample 63 trauma-exposed participants who were randomized to either an AS cognitive concerns intervention or a repeated contact control. Results indicated a direct effect of the intervention on PTSS 1 month postintervention, and that this effect was mediated by changes in AS, specifically AS cognitive concerns, during the intervention period. Effect sizes were in the small-to-medium range (variance accounted forranged from .05 to .15; odds ratio for diagnostic change = .06). These findings provide further evidence that targeting AS may be beneficial in the treatment of PTSS, and expansion upon this area of research by demonstrating these effects may be specific to AS cognitive concerns and can be achieved within a mixed clinical sample.