A Data-Driven Decomposition of Anxiety

Introduction: The present paper identified key components of anxiety and fear based on a large community sample of 387 psychiatrically healthy or depressed participants. Methods: Subfactors were defined based on a principal component analysis with promax rotation and characterized via correlations with other psychiatric as well as physiological and volumetric indicators collected in this large study. Results: The key components were labeled “discomfort,” “fright,” “nervousness,” “lack of self-confidence,” and “worry.” We discuss the components according to their organizational complexity, but also in terms of their affective and motivational content. Conclusion: The components may be useful for future research, as they are based on three of the most-used psychiatric questionnaires assessing anxiety and fear symptoms.