Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire (ASQ): development and validation.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire (ASQ) is a brief self-report questionnaire which measures frequency and intensity of symptoms and was developed to improve assessment of anxiety symptoms in a clinical setting. We examined the reliability and validity of the ASQ in patients with anxiety disorders and/or depression, non-clinical control subjects and college students. METHODS: 240 outpatients with generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder or major depressive disorder were administered the ASQ and additional questionnaires measuring depression and anxiety, as were 111 non-clinical control subjects and 487 college students. Factor analysis, Pearson's correlation coefficients and logistic regression were used to assess reliability and validity. Test-retest reliability of the ASQ was measured using a subset who were re-administered the ASQ after 4 weeks. RESULTS: Factor analysis revealed measurement of a single dimension by the ASQ. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were strong. The ASQ total score also significantly distinguished patients with an anxiety disorder from the clinical controls above and beyond the clinician-rated Hamilton Anxiety Scale. CONCLUSIONS: The ASQ is a valid, reliable and effective self-rated measure of anxiety and may be a useful tool for screening and assessing anxiety symptoms in psychiatric as well as college settings.