Abstract:
Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the relationships between anxiety sensitivity
(AS), irritability and intrusive thoughts (IT) and sleep problems in patients diagnosed with
generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
Methods: The study population consisted of all patients with GAD who referred to counseling
and psychological centers in Isfahan, Iran, in 2015. A total of 49 patients were selected out of
the whole population as the study samples using convenience sampling method. To collect
data, a questionnaire covering demographic and clinical information, the anxiety sensitivity
index-revised, the thought control questionnaire, the irritability scale, and the sleep problems
questionnaire were used. Using the SPSS22 software, the collected data were analyzed by
multiple regression analysis and Pearson correlation test.
Results: Results of multiple regression analysis showed that problems of sleep onset, sleep
continuity, and waking up could be anticipated by anxiety sensitivity, irritability and intrusive
thoughts in patients with GAD. Results of Pearson correlation test indicated significant
relationships between AS and sleep problems related to sleep onset, sleep continuity and waking
up; also between irritability and sleep onset problems; and finally between IT and sleep waking
up problems (P < 0.05). However, no significant relationship was observed between irritability
and sleep continuity and waking up problems or between IT and sleep onset and sleep continuity
problems (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: According to the results, the anxiety sensitivity has more relationship to sleep onset,
sleep continuity, and waking up problems in patients with GAD.
Machine summary:
"The Relationships Between Anxiety Sensitivity, Irritability, Intrusive Thoughts and Sleep Problems in Patients With Generalized Anxiety Disorder CrossMark Afsane Badrian1, Seyed Abbas Haghayegh1*, Hamid Reza Nikyar2 1.
The Relationships Between Anxiety Sensitivity, Irritability, Intrusive Thoughts and Sleep Problems in Patients With Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
A B S T R A C T Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the relationships between anxiety sensitivity (AS), irritability and intrusive thoughts (IT) and sleep problems in patients diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
To collect data, a questionnaire covering demographic and clinical information, the anxiety sensitivity index-revised, the thought control questionnaire, the irritability scale, and the sleep problems questionnaire were used.
Results: Results of multiple regression analysis showed that problems of sleep onset, sleep continuity, and waking up could be anticipated by anxiety sensitivity, irritability and intrusive thoughts in patients with GAD.
Conclusion: According to the results, the anxiety sensitivity has more relationship to sleep onset, sleep continuity, and waking up problems in patients with GAD.
Compared to normal people, patients with GAD have a delayed sleep onset (Akisal, Lemmi, & Dickson, 1984), * Corresponding Author: Seyed Abbas Haghayegh, PhD Address: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Science, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran.
Some studies reported sig- nificant relationship between anxiety sensitivity with sleep onset problems (Bilsky, Feldner, Knapp, Babson, & Leen- Feldner, 2016; Weiner, Meredith, Pincus & Comer, 2015).
Therefore, based on the study results, there is a significant relationship be- tween irritability and sleep problems in patients with GAD."