- Depression sensitivity uniquely and robustly predicts depressive symptoms and interpersonal hopelessness across regression steps.
- Anxiety sensitivity physical concerns consistently predict anxiety; social concerns initially predict interpersonal hopelessness but lose significance after adding depression sensitivity.
- Anxiety sensitivity cognitive concerns predicted lifetime suicidal ideation prior to adding suicidal cognitive concerns; anxiety sensitivity-suicidal cognitive concerns predicted no outcomes.
J Affect Disord. 2026 May 29:122053. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2026.122053. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Previous literature has established anxiety sensitivity as a risk factor for the development of several psychopathologies, including anxiety and depressive disorders. Recently, scales were developed to test two sensitivity types akin to anxiety sensitivity; depression sensitivity and anxiety sensitivity-suicidal cognitive concerns. The former refers to fears related to depressive symptoms, whereas the latter refers to fear of suicidal thoughts. Despite these scales’ potential merits in capturing mental health sensitivities currently missed by existing anxiety sensitivity measures, they have had limited examination. Using a cross-sectional sample of 128 adults with past month suicidal ideation, the current study investigated the utility of these measures to predict mental health outcomes using stepwise linear regression. Anxiety and depression symptoms were added into step one, anxiety sensitivity subscales (i.e., physical, cognitive, social) in step two, depression sensitivity in step three, and anxiety sensitivity-suicidal cognitive concerns in step four to predict anxiety and depression symptoms, past month and lifetime suicidal ideation, and interpersonal hopelessness. Anxiety sensitivity physical concerns was associated with anxiety across steps. Depression sensitivity was associated with depression across steps. Interpersonal hopelessness was uniquely predicted by anxiety sensitivity social concerns in step one, but only by depression sensitivity in step two. Anxiety sensitivity cognitive concerns predicted lifetime suicidal ideation before anxiety sensitivity-suicidal cognitive concerns was added. No other constructs were associated with suicidal ideation. Anxiety sensitivity-suicidal cognitive concerns predicted no outcomes. These findings indicate the unique predictive ability of depression sensitivity for depression and interpersonal hopelessness. Anxiety sensitivity-suicidal cognitive concerns warrants further study.
PMID:42217640 | DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2026.122053
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