The utility of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Severity Scale (GADSS) with older adults in primary care.
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.
Houston Center for Quality of Care Utilization Studies, Health Service Research and Development Service, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Brandon J
BJ
Weiss
Jessica
J
Calleo
Howard M
HM
Rhoades
Diane M
DM
Novy
Mark E
ME
Kunik
Eric J
EJ
Lenze
Melinda A
MA
Stanley
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011594:Psychometrics; D012016:Reference Values; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results