Anxiety sensitivity in first-degree relatives of patients with panic disorder

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) has been proposed as a risk factor for the development of panic disorder. Strong familial-genetic influences in panic disorder (PD) have been reported. AS may be familial too. The current study therefore examined whether first-degree relatives of PD patients are more anxiety-sensitive than normals. Twenty-three first-degree relatives of PD patients, 38 PD patients and 30 normals were given the Anxiety Sensitive Index and the Body Sensations Questionnaire. It was found that the first-degree relatives were, indeed, more anxiety-sensitive than the normals, but less so than the PD patients, suggesting that AS runs in families.