Assessing children's state anxiety.
Anxiety is an important component of children's pain and is routinely assessed in pain research. Two forms of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory have been used frequently by researchers investigating children's pain and state anxiety (form C-1 and Y-1). We were unable to find psychometric information about this tool when used with a population of hospitalized children. Therefore, we undertook to assess reliability and validity, and identify problem items using data from 881 hospitalized children (aged 5-18 years) whom we had tested. Considering results of all analyses together, we concluded that the tools lack validity and reliability, and contain many problem items that are in need of revision.
Schisler
T
T
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
Lander
J
J
Fowler-Kerry
S
S
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002673:Child, Hospitalized / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019937:Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures / Q000523:psychology; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011581:Psychological Tests; D013812:Therapeutics / Q000523:psychology