The Relationship of Anxiety Symptoms and Swine Flu Fears
Abstract
Using the 2009 Swine Flu pandemic as a contemporary example of pandemic fears, this study examined the relationship between various symptoms related to health anxiety and Swine Flu fears. It was hypothesized that both obsessive-compulsive (OC) beliefs and OC symptoms would significantly predict Swine Flu fears. It was also hypothesized that symptoms of anxiety, including measures of anxiety sensitivity, medical phobias, and general health anxiety would significantly mediate the relationship between both OC beliefs and OC symptoms and Swine Flu fears. 208 undergraduate students completed an online questionnaire that included measures of Swine Flu fears and various anxiety symptoms. It was found that both OC beliefs and OC symptoms significantly predicted Swine Flu fears. While both symptoms of general health anxiety and medical fears significantly mediated the relationship between both OC beliefs and OC symptoms and Swine Flu fears, symptoms of anxiety sensitivity was not a significant mediator for neither OC beliefs nor OC symptoms and Swine Flu fears. The results of this study may be useful for treating individuals suffering from anxiety in light of future pandemics, as well as continuing to research the role of anxiety symptoms in predicting pandemic fears.
Subject Area
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Brand, Joseph, "The Relationship of Anxiety Symptoms and Swine Flu Fears" (2011). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI13851556.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI13851556
