The utility of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Severity Scale (GADSS) with older adults in primary care

Depress Anxiety. 2009;26(1):E10-5. doi: 10.1002/da.20520.

Abstract

Background: The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Severity Scale (GADSS) is an interview rating scale designed specifically for assessing symptom severity of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), which has demonstrated positive psychometric data in a sample of adult primary care patients with GAD and panic disorder. However, the psychometric properties of the GADSS have not been evaluated for older adults.

Methods: This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the GADSS, administered via telephone, with a sample of older primary care patients (n=223) referred for treatment of worry and/or anxiety.

Results: The GADSS demonstrated adequate internal consistency, strong inter-rater reliability, adequate convergent validity, poor diagnostic accuracy, and mixed discriminant validity.

Conclusions: Results provide mixed preliminary support for use of the GADSS with older adults.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Anxiety Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Anxiety Disorders / psychology
  • Anxiety Disorders / therapy
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • Comorbidity
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interviews as Topic
  • Male
  • Mass Screening / statistics & numerical data
  • Middle Aged
  • Mood Disorders / diagnosis
  • Mood Disorders / psychology
  • Mood Disorders / therapy
  • Personality Assessment / statistics & numerical data*
  • Personality Inventory / statistics & numerical data*
  • Primary Health Care*
  • Psychometrics
  • Reference Values
  • Referral and Consultation
  • Reproducibility of Results