Journal
DEMENTIA AND GERIATRIC COGNITIVE DISORDERS
Volume 42, Issue 5-6, Pages 310-322Publisher
KARGER
DOI: 10.1159/000452272
Keywords
Anxiety; Depression; Psychosis; Dementia; Geriatric Anxiety Inventory; Factor analysis
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Funding
- Department of Geriatric Psychiatry at Diakonhjemmet Hospital in Oslo, Norway
- Research Centre for Old Age and Health in Tonsberg, Norway
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Aims: The primary aim of this study was to examine anxiety symptoms as measured by the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) in older patients with depression, dementia, or psychotic disorders. The secondary aim was to conduct a principal component analysis (PCA) of the GAI and to examine whether its subscales differ between the 3 disorders. Methods: We included data from 428 patients who were admitted to a department of geriatric psychiatry and examined according to a standardized protocol. The GAI was used to measure current anxiety symptoms. Results: The GAI symptoms occurred more frequently in the group with depression than in the other 2 groups. The PCA of the GAI with oblimin rotation resulted in a 2-component solution, labelled as worries (explained variance 46.3%, Cronbach's alpha 0.92) and physical symptoms (explained variance 7.1%, Cronbach's alpha 0.85). Conclusion: The results indicate that in old age, anxiety is especially prevalent in depression. The 2-component solution indicates that the GAI measures 2 different aspects of anxiety with different symptomatology. (C) 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.
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