Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Psychiatry 1735-4587 11 3 2016 10 09 140 146 EN Parvaneh‏ ‏ Mohammadkhani Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Behavior science, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran‎. Abbas Pourshahbaz Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Behavior science, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran‎. Maryam Kami Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Behavior science, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran‎. Mahdi Mazidi Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Behavior science, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran‎. Imaneh Abasi Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Behavior science, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran‎. 2015 12 26 Objective: Generalized anxiety disorder is one of the most common anxiety disorders in the general ‎population. Several studies suggest that anxiety sensitivity is a vulnerability factor in generalized ‎anxiety severity. However, some other studies suggest that negative repetitive thinking and ‎experiential avoidance as response factors can explain this relationship. Therefore, this study ‎aimed to investigate the mediating role of experiential avoidance and negative repetitive thinking ‎in the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and generalized anxiety severity.‎ Method: This was a cross-sectional and correlational study. A sample of 475 university students was ‎selected through stratified sampling method. The participants completed Anxiety Sensitivity ‎Inventory-3, Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire, and ‎Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item Scale. Data were analyzed by Pearson correlation, multiple ‎regression analysis and path analysis.‎ Results: The results revealed a positive relationship between anxiety sensitivity, particularly cognitive ‎anxiety sensitivity, experiential avoidance, repetitive thinking and generalized anxiety severity. In ‎addition, findings showed that repetitive thinking, but not experiential avoidance, fully mediated ‎the relationship between cognitive anxiety sensitivity and generalized anxiety severity. α Level ‎was p<0.005.‎ Conclusion: Consistent with the trans-diagnostic hypothesis, anxiety sensitivity predicts generalized anxiety‏ ‏severity, but its effect is due to the generating repetitive negative thought.‎ https://ijps.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijps/article/view/585 https://ijps.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijps/article/download/585/564