The Role Of Anxiety Sensitivity In The Relationship Between Emotional Non-Acceptance And Panic, Social Anxiety, And Depressive Symptoms Among Treatment-Seeking Daily Smokers

The current investigation examined whether anxiety sensitivity (fear of anxiety-related sensations) explains the relation between emotional non-acceptance (unwillingness to experience unwanted emotions) and panic, social anxiety, and depressive symptoms among treatment-seeking daily smokers (N = 342, 46.2% female; M-age = 37.4, SD = 13.3). Consistent with hypotheses, emotional non-acceptance was found to be uniquely related to panic, social anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Additionally, emotional non-acceptance was found to have a significant indirect effect on panic, social anxiety, and depressive symptoms through anxiety sensitivity. All observed effects were evident above and beyond the variance accounted for by theoretically relevant variables including tobacco-related medical illness, number of cigarettes smoked per day, alcohol use problems, and negative affectivity. These findings are discussed in relation to the mechanisms underlying the expression of anxiety/depressive symptoms among daily smokers.