Conclusions : Of the most commonly used measures , the majority lacked sufficient evidence to warrant their use with older adults .
Based on psychometric evidence , three measures ( Beck Anxiety Inventory , Penn State Worry Question naire , and Geriatric Mental Status Examination ) showed psychometric properties sufficient to justify the use of these instruments when assessing anxiety in older adults .
In addition , two measures developed specifically for older adults ( Worry Scale and Geriatric Anxiety Inventory ) were also found to be appropriate for use with older adults
Objectives : The authors set out to systematic ally review the research literature in order to identify the anxiety measures most commonly used in the assessment of older adults .
Once identified , the literature was review ed to determine the extent to which these instruments had age-relevant norms and psychometric data supporting their use with older adults .
Long-term effectiveness and prediction of treatment outcome in cognitive behavioral therapy and sertraline for late-life anxiety disorders.
BACKGROUND Although anxiety disorders are prevalent in older adults , r and omized controlled trials of treatment effectiveness for late-life anxiety are scarce and have focused primarily on the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic interventions . However , recent findings suggest that in some cases , pharmacological treatment may be more beneficial for late-life anxiety disorders . As yet , there have been no systematic studies investigating prognostic factors for the outcome of cognitive behavioral therapy ( CBT ) and pharmacotherapy for late-life anxiety . The objective of the present study was to study long-term treatment outcomes and to explore differential predictors for both short-term and long-term treatment outcomes of sertraline and CBT for late-life anxiety disorders . METHODS Participants of a r and omized controlled trial ( RCT ) comparing sertraline and CBT for the treatment of late-life anxiety were contacted one year after completing their treatment , so that predictors for both short-term and long-term treatment outcome could be established . RESULTS Sertraline showed a greater reduction of symptoms than CBT on anxiety ( Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale ; HARS ) and worry ( Worry Domain Question naire ) ratings at one-year follow-up . The strongest predictor for short-term CBT outcome was poor perceived health , explaining 40 % of the variance in post-treatment residual gain scores on the HARS . The strongest predictor for long-term CBT outcome was neuroticism , explaining 20 % of the variance in residual gain scores at one-year follow-up . Analyses revealed no significant predictors for treatment outcome in sertraline participants . CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that long-term use of sertraline might be more beneficial for late-life anxiety than a 15-week CBT program . Poor perceived health and neuroticism are predictive of less improvement after CBT in anxious older adults . Implication s of these findings are discussed
Conclusions : Of the most commonly used measures , the majority lacked sufficient evidence to warrant their use with older adults .
Based on psychometric evidence , three measures ( Beck Anxiety Inventory , Penn State Worry Question naire , and Geriatric Mental Status Examination ) showed psychometric properties sufficient to justify the use of these instruments when assessing anxiety in older adults .
In addition , two measures developed specifically for older adults ( Worry Scale and Geriatric Anxiety Inventory ) were also found to be appropriate for use with older adults
Objectives : The authors set out to systematic ally review the research literature in order to identify the anxiety measures most commonly used in the assessment of older adults .
Once identified , the literature was review ed to determine the extent to which these instruments had age-relevant norms and psychometric data supporting their use with older adults .