Reliability and validity of the dimensional features of generalized anxiety disorder

J Anxiety Disord. 2015 Jan:29:1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.10.003. Epub 2014 Oct 30.

Abstract

The reliability and validity of the dimensional features of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) were examined in a diverse sample of 508 outpatients with anxiety and mood disorders who underwent two independent administrations of the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV: Lifetime version (ADIS-IV-L; Di Nardo, Brown, & Barlow, 1994). Inter-rater reliability was higher in the full sample than in patients with current GAD. Additionally, the presence of a mood disorder weakened inter-rater reliability. We also explored the unique contribution of excessiveness and uncontrollability of worry to various clinical outcomes and found that excessiveness predicted anxiety, depression, and stress self-report measures, and uncontrollability predicted clinical severity and number of diagnoses. Findings are discussed with regard to their implications for the classification of GAD (e.g., utility of dimension-based assessment to improve the classification of psychological disorders).

Keywords: Diagnostic criteria; Dimensional classification; GAD; Reliability; Validity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Anxiety Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Depressive Disorder / diagnosis
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mood Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Self Report
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Young Adult