Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
10447607 | Journal of Anxiety Disorders | 2014 | 7 Pages |
Abstract
The Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) is a widely used measure of worry severity. An 8-item abbreviated version (PSWQ-A) has been developed as a brief screening measure, although there are limited studies assessing the psychometric properties of this measure in a large geriatric population. The aim of this study was to assess the utility of the PSWQ-A compared to the full PSWQ, to identify pathological worry in an older adult sample (NÂ =Â 108) of clinically anxious and depressed older adults, compared to a non-clinical sample (NÂ =Â 53). The PSWQ and PSWQ-A were found to have similarly adequate reliability and validity. The factor structure of the PSWQ-A was replicated, but not for the PSWQ. Both measures accurately distinguished between clinical and non-clinical status with similar sensitivity and specificity. These findings indicate the PSWQ-A is a useful measure for screening or epidemiological studies assessing worry in geriatric populations.
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Authors
Viviana M. Wuthrich, Carly Johnco, Ashleigh Knight,