Afraid of injustice? Justice sensitivity is linked to general anxiety and social phobia symptoms

Abstract

Background: Justice sensitivity (JS), the tendency to perceive and adversely respond to injustice, is related to externalizing problem behavior. Less is known about relations with internalizing problems including affective disorders, such as social phobia or general anxiety.

Methods: We had N = 904 participants rate their JS, general anxiety and social phobia symptoms, and control variables.

Results: All JS subscales were positively correlated with general anxiety and social phobia symptoms. Victim JS predicted both anxiety measures beyond the control variables, beneficiary JS predicted social phobia symptoms. These links were fully mediated by negative affect and fear of rejection and criticism.

Limitations: The present study used cross-sectional data and requires replication with longitudinal data. Influences from anxiety symptoms on JS are also possible.

Conclusions: The present findings indicate that JS is linked to anxiety symptoms in the general population, irrespective of the perspective from which individuals are justice sensitive and beyond other well-established risk factors. JS may be a vulnerability and a stress factor that may add to developing and maintaining anxiety and phobia symptoms. Therefore, JS may deserve consideration in anxiety research and treatment.

Keywords: General anxiety; Justice sensitivity; Negative affect; Social phobia.