Anxiety Sensitivity: Theory, Research, and Treatment of the Fear of Anxiety

beginning of this chapter. We hope we have met the main aim of this chapter, which was to show that both of these quotes provide good reasons for being interested in AS in children. Specifically, when Goethe said that "[age] finds us true children still," we think that he was right (in general) and also specifically in terms of the construct of AS. That is, what has been so well documented among adult participants in AS studies we have shown in this chapter to be slowly but surely being documented among child participants. In other words, many of the adult participants are probably reacting and responding as they did as children when it comes to showing anxiety about their anxious symptoms. Similarly, when James said that "Meaning, other than practical, there is for us none," we think that he was right as well (in general) and also specifically in terms of the construct of AS. That is, the pragmatic significance of AS in children is slowly but surely being documented. As shown in this chapter, evidence is accumulating that anxiety sensitivity has the potential to make a real difference in helping children who suffer from panic and anxiety disorders. For us, there is no better meaning or reason to make use of and study this construct in children than this most important pragmatic one. Our hope is that readers of this chapter will come away with a sensitivity toward AS in children.

Support for the writing of this chapter was provided in part by NIMH grant 54690.

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