title: Anxiety in Multiple Sclerosis: psychometric properties of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of the present study were to examine psychometric properties of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y-1 and STAI-Y-2, respectively) in a Multiple Sclerosis (MS) population and to identify a cut-off score to detect those MS patients with high level of state and/or trait anxiety who could be more vulnerable to development of depression and/or cognitive defects.
  
  
  METHODS
  The STAI-Y-1 and STAI-Y-2 was completed by a group of patients (n = 175) affected by MS and a group of healthy subjects (n = 150) matched for age, educational level, and gender. In MS patients internal consistency, divergent and discriminant validities were evaluated. Construct validity was examined by exploratory factor analysis for each scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no missing data, no floor or ceiling effects for both scales. The two scales showed high internal consistency, good divergent, and Known-groups validities. To identify high levels of state and trait anxiety in a patient with MS, we proposed three gender specific screening cut-off values (1, 1.5, 2 SD) for the STAI-Y-1 and the STAI-Y-2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings showed that the STAI-Y-1 and the STAI-Y-2 are a valid tool for clinical use in MS patients and can be useful to measure the severity of anxiety and to identify those patients with high anxiety to introduce them in specific non-pharmacological intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Caserta, Italy. gabriella.santangelo@unina2.it.|IDC-Hermitage-Capodimonte, Naples, Italy. gabriella.santangelo@unina2.it.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Santangelo
authors.affiliation: MS Center, I Division of Neurology, Dept of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sacco
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Caserta, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siciliano
authors.affiliation: MS Center, I Division of Neurology, Dept of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bisecco
authors.affiliation: MS Center, I Division of Neurology, Dept of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Muzzo
authors.affiliation: MS Center, I Division of Neurology, Dept of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Docimo
authors.affiliation: MS Center, I Division of Neurology, Dept of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Stefano
authors.affiliation: MS Center, I Division of Neurology, Dept of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonavita
authors.affiliation: MS Center, I Division of Neurology, Dept of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lavorgna
authors.affiliation: IDC-Hermitage-Capodimonte, Naples, Italy.|MS Center, I Division of Neurology, Dept of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tedeschi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Caserta, Italy. luigi.trojano@unina2.it.|Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, Scientific Institute of Telese, Telese Terme, Italy. luigi.trojano@unina2.it.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Trojano
authors.affiliation: MS Center, I Division of Neurology, Dept of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gallo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D012016:Reference Values; D012727:Sex Characteristics
keywords: STAI-Y; anxiety; cognitive deficits; depression; multiple sclerosis; validation