Individuals who are high in anxiety sensitivity (AS) are motivated to avoid sensations of anxiety. Consequently, AS is hypothesized to contribute to overall avoidance of any feared stimuli. No studies have yet examined whether fear of a stimulus is a stronger predictor of behavioral avoidance in individuals who are high in AS compared to individuals who are low in AS. We examined whether AS moderates the association between fear of spiders and behavioral avoidance of spider stimuli in 50 clinically anxious youth. Fear of spiders significantly predicted avoidance of spider stimuli in youth high in AS but not in youth low in AS. These results provide support for the role of AS in avoidant behavior and help to explain the link between AS and the anxiety disorders. The results have implications for exposure-based anxiety treatments and highlight the importance of increasing anxious patients’ ability to tolerate sensations of anxiety.

Increasing utilization of behavioral health services for distressed youth and their families is a compelling public health imperative. Public perceptions and attitudes toward child therapy impact behavioral health care utilization rates. This study investigated adults’ attitudes toward child psychotherapy using a new survey method and instrument. A real-world intercept survey design where data is collected from individuals while they are entering or exiting common locations such as malls and retail stores was employed. Respondents were asked to complete the Attitudes and Perceptions of Child Psychotherapy Scale, which is an 18-item consumer-centric instrument. One hundred adult individuals completed the survey focusing on the perceived value of services/providers (product dimension) and the types of providers preferred by the public (promotion dimension). The findings yielded several compelling results. Pediatricians, psychologists, and psychiatrists were seen as the most trustworthy and effective clinical providers. Further, pediatricians were viewed as the most necessary health care provider for children. Reputation, utilization of treatments that work, and being referred by a trusted source were the top reasons for choosing a behavioral health provider. Finally, clinical improvement and children’s relationship with the provider were the most highly rated factors to consider when receiving treatment. Implications are discussed in terms of increasing mental health literacy and developing materials that engage potential consumers of pediatric behavioral health care.

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