Threat-sensitivity in affective disorders: A case-control study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Threat-sensitivity in affective disorders

T2 - A case-control study

AU - Perkins, Adam M

AU - Bley, Julia Große

AU - Cleare, Anthony J

AU - Young, Allan H

AU - Corr, Philip J

AU - Dohrenbusch, Ralf

AU - Ettinger, Ulrich

N1 - Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PY - 2020/4/1

Y1 - 2020/4/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: Anxiety disorders are highly comorbid with major depression but differ in their symptom profiles and pharmacological responses. Threat-sensitivity may explain such differences, yet research on its relationship to specific disorders is lacking.METHODS: One-hundred patients (71 women) and 35 healthy controls (23 women) were recruited. Thirty-five had Panic Disorder (PD), 32 had Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and 33 Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Threat-sensitivity was measured via behaviour (Joystick Operated Runway Task; JORT) and self-report (Fear Survey Schedule; FSS).RESULTS: Behavioural sensitivity to simple threat was higher in females compared to males (p = .03). Self-reported sensitivity to simple threat (FSS Tissue Damage Fear) was higher in PD patients compared to other groups (p ≤ .007) and in GAD patients compared to controls (p = .02). Behavioural sensitivity to complex threat was higher in females than males (p = .03) and a group by sex interaction (p = .01) indicated that this difference was largest in PD patients. Self-reported sensitivity to complex threat (FSS Social Fear) was higher in all patients compared to controls (p ≤ .001). Females scored higher than males on FSS Tissue Damage Fear and FSS Social Fear).CONCLUSIONS: Our findings oppose the simple/complex threat dichotomy, instead suggesting elevated sensitivity to physical threat differentiates anxiety disorders from MDD, whereas elevated sensitivity to social threat is associated with both anxiety disorders and MDD.

AB - BACKGROUND: Anxiety disorders are highly comorbid with major depression but differ in their symptom profiles and pharmacological responses. Threat-sensitivity may explain such differences, yet research on its relationship to specific disorders is lacking.METHODS: One-hundred patients (71 women) and 35 healthy controls (23 women) were recruited. Thirty-five had Panic Disorder (PD), 32 had Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and 33 Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Threat-sensitivity was measured via behaviour (Joystick Operated Runway Task; JORT) and self-report (Fear Survey Schedule; FSS).RESULTS: Behavioural sensitivity to simple threat was higher in females compared to males (p = .03). Self-reported sensitivity to simple threat (FSS Tissue Damage Fear) was higher in PD patients compared to other groups (p ≤ .007) and in GAD patients compared to controls (p = .02). Behavioural sensitivity to complex threat was higher in females than males (p = .03) and a group by sex interaction (p = .01) indicated that this difference was largest in PD patients. Self-reported sensitivity to complex threat (FSS Social Fear) was higher in all patients compared to controls (p ≤ .001). Females scored higher than males on FSS Tissue Damage Fear and FSS Social Fear).CONCLUSIONS: Our findings oppose the simple/complex threat dichotomy, instead suggesting elevated sensitivity to physical threat differentiates anxiety disorders from MDD, whereas elevated sensitivity to social threat is associated with both anxiety disorders and MDD.

KW - Affective disorders

KW - Generalized Anxiety Disorder

KW - Joystick Operated Runway Task

KW - Panic disorder

KW - Personality

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85079006642&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jad.2020.01.074

DO - 10.1016/j.jad.2020.01.074

M3 - Article

C2 - 32056932

SN - 0165-0327

VL - 266

SP - 595

EP - 602

JO - Journal of Affective Disorders

JF - Journal of Affective Disorders

ER -