A Brief Online and Offline (Paper-and-Pencil) Screening Tool for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: The Final Phase in the Development and Validation of the Mental Health Screening Tool for Anxiety Disorders (MHS: A)
- Authors
- Kim, Shin-Hyang; Park, Kiho; Yoon, Seowon; Choi, Younyoung; Lee, Seung-Hwan; Choi, Kee-Hong
- Issue Date
- 22-Feb-2021
- Publisher
- FRONTIERS MEDIA SA
- Keywords
- screening tests; generalized anxiety disorder; psychometrics; item response theory; diagnostic utility; online assessment
- Citation
- FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY, v.12
- Indexed
- SSCI
SCOPUS
- Journal Title
- FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
- Volume
- 12
- URI
- https://scholar.korea.ac.kr/handle/2021.sw.korea/49552
- DOI
- 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.639366
- ISSN
- 1664-1078
- Abstract
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) can cause significant socioeconomic burden and daily life dysfunction; hence, therapeutic intervention through early detection is important. This study was the final stage of a 3-year anxiety screening tool development project that evaluated the psychometric properties and diagnostic screening utility of the Mental Health Screening Tool for Anxiety Disorders (MHS: A), which measures GAD. A total of 527 Koreans completed online and offline (i.e., paper-and pencil) versions of the MHS: A, Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ). The participants had an average age of 38.6 years and included 340 (64.5%) females. Participants were also administered the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Internal consistency, convergent/criterion validity, item characteristics, and test information were assessed based on the item response theory (IRT), and a factor analysis and cut-off score analyses were conducted. The MHS: A had good internal consistency and good convergent validity with other anxiety scales. The two versions (online/offline) of the MHS: A were nearly identical (r = 0.908). It had a one-factor structure and showed better diagnostic accuracy (online/offline: sensitivity = 0.98/0.90, specificity = 0.80/0.83) for GAD detection than the GAD-7 and BAI. The IRT analysis indicated that the MHS: A was most informative as a screening tool for GAD. The MHS: A can serve as a clinically useful screening tool for GAD in Korea. Furthermore, it can be administered both online and offline and can be flexibly used as a brief mental health screener, especially with the current rise in telehealth.
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