How we react to anxiety could be just as important as the anxiety itself

A person's response to anxiety may be as crucial as the anxiety itself in determining whether they develop an anxiety disorder, according to recent research published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology. The study, conducted by psychologists Max Z. Roberts at the University at Albany and Duke University, suggests that psychological inflexibility – the inability to adapt to challenging thoughts and emotions – plays a significant role in the onset of anxiety disorders.

Psychological inflexibility occurs when individuals struggle to cope with anxious feelings, often leading to rigid attempts to avoid discomfort. For instance, someone might flee a social gathering at the first sign of nervousness. In contrast, psychological flexibility allows a person to experience the same anxiety and remain in the situation if it aligns with their goals.

Both reactions, from an evolutionary perspective, serve a protective function by encouraging individuals to anticipate threats and take preemptive action.

The researchers recruited 265 adults through social media and professional mental health organizations, asking them to complete online surveys measuring their anxiety levels and psychological inflexibility. They also gathered data on any lifetime diagnoses of anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorders. The results showed that severe anxiety symptoms were linked to a higher likelihood of having an anxiety disorder.

Even after accounting for symptom severity, psychological inflexibility remained strongly associated with a person's diagnosis history.

For every one-point increase on the psychological inflexibility scale, participants were nearly three times more likely to have at least one anxiety diagnosis. The findings were consistent when the same assessments were administered to 853 undergraduate students from a large northeastern university. Higher psychological inflexibility was again linked to an increased chance of reporting an anxiety disorder, regardless of the severity of their recent anxiety symptoms.

Demographic variables such as identifying as White and female were also independently associated with a history of clinical anxiety conditions. The study suggests that evaluating how individuals react to their anxiety, rather than solely focusing on the anxiety itself, could be a valuable strategy for mitigating mental health struggles and potentially reducing the prevalence of anxiety disorders.