A Systematic Review of the Psychometric Properties of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory.

The Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) and its short form (GAI-SF) are self-reported scales used internationally to assess anxiety symptoms in older adults. In this study, we conducted the first critical comprehensive review of these scales' psychometric properties. We rated the quality of 31 relevant studies with the COSMIN checklist. Both the GAI and GAI-SF showed adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Convergent validity indices were highest with generalized anxiety measures; lowest with instruments relating to somatic symptoms. We detected substantial overlap with depression measures. While there was no consensus on the GAI's factorial structure, we found the short version to be unidimensional. Although we found good sensitivity and specificity for detecting anxiety, cut-off scores varied. The GAI and GAI-SF are relevant instruments showing satisfactory psychometric properties; to broaden their use, however, some psychometric properties warrant closer examination. This review calls attention to weaknesses in the methodological quality of the studies.

A Cross-National Analysis of the Psychometric Properties of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory.

OBJECTIVES: Assessing late-life anxiety using an instrument with sound psychometric properties including cross-cultural invariance is essential for cross-national aging research and clinical assessment. To date, no cross-national research studies have examined the psychometric properties of the frequently used Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) in depth. METHOD: Using data from 3,731 older adults from 10 national samples (Australia, Brazil, Canada, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Singapore, Thailand, and United States), this study used bifactor modeling to analyze the dimensionality of the GAI. We evaluated the "fitness" of individual items based on the explained common variance for each item across all nations. In addition, a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was applied, testing for measurement invariance across the samples. RESULTS: Across samples, the presence of a strong G factor provides support that a general factor is of primary importance, rather than subfactors. That is, the data support a primarily unidimensional representation of the GAI, still acknowledging the presence of multidimensional factors. A GAI score in one of the countries would be directly comparable to a GAI score in any of the other countries tested, perhaps with the exception of Singapore. DISCUSSION: Although several items demonstrated relatively weak common variance with the general factor, the unidimensional structure remained strong even with these items retained. Thus, it is recommended that the GAI be administered using all items.

Utilization of health care services in cancer patients with elevated fear of cancer recurrence.

BACKGROUND: Cancer patients commonly report experiencing fear of cancer recurrence (FCR), which may lead to several negative consequences. This study aimed at examining whether clinical levels of FCR are linked to a greater use of health care services. METHOD: This is a secondary analysis of a longitudinal study of 962 cancer patients on the epidemiology of cancer-related insomnia. They completed the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory-Short form (FCRI-SF) and reported information on their consultations (medical, psychosocial, and complementary and alternative medicine [CAM]) and medication usage (anxiolytics/hypnotics and antidepressants) at 6 time points over an 18-month period. RESULTS: Results indicated that clinical FCR at baseline was associated with greater consultation rates of medical and psychosocial professionals and a greater usage of anxiolytics/hypnotics and antidepressants. No significant association was found between the FCR level and use of CAM services. While consultation rates of medical and CAM professionals and usage of antidepressants generally increased over time, consultation rates of psychosocial professionals and usage of anxiolytics/hypnotics tended to decrease. CONCLUSIONS: Cancer patients with clinical levels of FCR are more likely to consult health care providers and to use psychotropic medications, which may translate into significant costs for society and the patients themselves.

Psychometric properties of the French Canadian version of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory.

BACKGROUND: The Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) and a short form of this instrument (GAI-SF) were developed to assess the severity of anxiety symptoms in older adults in order to compensate for the lack of validated screening tools adapted to the elderly population. This study examined the psychometric properties of the French Canadian version of the GAI, in its complete (GAI-FC) and short form (GAI-FC-SF). METHOD: A total of 331 community-dwelling seniors between 65 and 92 years old participated in this study. RESULTS: Both the GAI-FC and the GAI-FC-SF have sound psychometric properties with, respectively, a high internal consistency (α = .94 and .83), an adequate convergent validity (r = .50 to .86 with instruments known to evaluate constructs similar to the GAI or related to anxiety), a good test-retest reliability (r = .89 and .85), in addition to a single-factor structure. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the use of both the GAI-FC and the GAI-FC-SF. The GAI-FC-SF seems to be an interesting alternative to the GAI-FC as a screening tool when time available for assessment is limited.