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 .
Reliability, validity and factor structure of the GHQ-28 used among elderly Iranians.
BACKGROUND The object of this study was to develop an Iranian version of the General Health Question naire-28 ( GHQ-28 ) for use with elderly subjects . METHODS The GHQ-28 Farsi version was evaluated for face validity among 204 elderly subjects aged 59 years or older , chosen r and omly from residents of Tehran . The Composite International Diagnostic Interview ( CIDI ) was used to establish a gold st and ard diagnosis of mental disorders . RESULTS The GHQ-28 was an internally consistent measure . Cronbach 's alpha , split-half coefficients and test-retest reliability were 0.9 , 0.89 and 0.58 respectively . Four factors were extracted using factor analysis : " depression , " " psychosocial activity , " " anxiety , " and " somatic . " Using receiver operating curve ( ROC ) analysis , the optimum cutoff score for the GHQ-28 in this group was 19/20 ( sensitivity 0.83 , specificity 0.76 ) . Using a loading of 0.6 or greater , a short form of the instrument ( GHQ-15 )  ( alpha=0.9 ) was derived and correlated well with the longer form of the scale ( r=0.97 ) . Using ROC analysis , the optimum cutoff score was 10/11 ( sensitivity 0.83 , specificity 0.69 ) . CONCLUSIONS The short and long forms of the GHQ-28 are suitable screening instruments for elderly Iranian residents , particularly those living in urban areas
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 .