Comparison of self-report measures for identifying late-life generalized anxiety in primary care

J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 2008 Dec;21(4):223-31. doi: 10.1177/0891988708324936.

Abstract

This study evaluated the Penn State Worry Questionnaire, Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Abbreviated, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-IV for identifying generalized anxiety disorder in older medical patients. Participants were 191 of 281 patients screened for a clinical trial evaluating cognitive-behavior treatment, n = 110 with generalized anxiety disorder, 81 without. Participants completed the Penn State Worry Questionnaire and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-IV at pretreatment. Kappa coefficients estimated agreement with the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnosis. Receiver operating characteristic curves compared sensitivity and specificity of self-report measures. The Penn State Worry Questionnaire (cutoff = 50) provided the strongest prediction of generalized anxiety disorder (sensitivity, 76%; specificity, 73%; 75% correctly classified; kappa = .49. Item 2 of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-IV demonstrated comparable accuracy. The Penn State Worry Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-IV, and briefer versions of these measures may be useful in identifying late-life generalized anxiety disorder in medical settings.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Aged / psychology*
  • Anxiety Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Anxiety Disorders / psychology*
  • Data Interpretation, Statistical
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Primary Health Care / methods*
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Surveys and Questionnaires*