International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 20(7), July 2005, pp.629-634.
Publisher:
Wiley
... The 20-item STAI state instrument was used to measure current anxiety symptoms. Without knowledge of the score on STAI state a psychiatrist examined all patients and set diagnosis according to DSM-IV-TR criteria, but hierarchical rules were not used. Sensitivity, specificity, Likelihood ratio and accuracy were calculated for different cut-points of the mean sumscore on the STAI state. The mean STAI sumscore
In geriatric psychiatry assessment scales are often used in clinical praxis in the diagnostic work-up of mental disorders. This study aimed to assess whether the state part of the STAI is useful as a case-finding instrument of mental disorders. Data came from 70 non demented geriatric in-patients in stable clinical condition. Mean age was 83.3 years (range 64-96), and 74.3% were women. The 20-item STAI state instrument was used to measure current anxiety symptoms. Without knowledge of the score on STAI state a psychiatrist examined all patients and set diagnosis according to DSM-IV-TR criteria, but hierarchical rules were not used. Sensitivity, specificity, Likelihood ratio and accuracy were calculated for different cut-points of the mean sumscore on the STAI state. The mean STAI sumscore in this group was 56.3 compared with 39.2 in the 59 patients without any psychiatric diagnosis. The authors concluded that the STAI state scale is a useful instrument for detecting a variety of mental disorders in older people and recommend that further studies should be carried out in different populations.
Subject terms:
instruments, mental health problems, older people, assessment, anxiety, depression;
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 16(7), July 2001, pp.690-693.
Publisher:
Wiley
Examines the prevalence of anxiety symptoms in hospitalized geriatric patients using a controlled cross-sectional study of ninety-eight geriatric in-patients and 68 healthy home-dwelling controls of similar age recruited from senior citizen centres in Norway. The geriatric patients scored significantly higher than the controls. Applying Spielberger's recommended cut-off of 39/40 on the STAI sumscore, 41% of the female and 47% of the male geriatric patients might be suspected of suffering from significant anxiety symptoms. Concludes that STAI proved feasible for use in the elderly. The scoring on the STAI is high in geriatric in-patients. Further studies are needed to clarify to what extent this relates to a high prevalence of anxiety disorders.
Examines the prevalence of anxiety symptoms in hospitalized geriatric patients using a controlled cross-sectional study of ninety-eight geriatric in-patients and 68 healthy home-dwelling controls of similar age recruited from senior citizen centres in Norway. The geriatric patients scored significantly higher than the controls. Applying Spielberger's recommended cut-off of 39/40 on the STAI sumscore, 41% of the female and 47% of the male geriatric patients might be suspected of suffering from significant anxiety symptoms. Concludes that STAI proved feasible for use in the elderly. The scoring on the STAI is high in geriatric in-patients. Further studies are needed to clarify to what extent this relates to a high prevalence of anxiety disorders.