TY - JOUR
T1 - GAD-7, GAD-2, and GAD-mini
T2 - Psychometric properties and norms of university students in the United States
AU - Byrd-Bredbenner, Carol
AU - Eck, Kaitlyn
AU - Quick, Virginia
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2021/3/1
Y1 - 2021/3/1
N2 - Objective: The Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7 & GAD-2) scales are reliable and valid instruments for assessing generalized anxiety symptoms in the general and clinical populations. However, little attention has been given to the psychometric qualities of GAD-7 and reduced length versions in a diverse sample of young adult college students stratified by sex. Thus, the aims for this study are to test psychometric properties and normative values of GAD-7, GAD-2, and GAD-Mini scales. Method: U.S university students (N = 4128; females n = 2527, males n = 1601) ages 18–26 years completed an online survey composed of the GAD-7, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2), and demographic questions. Results: Exploratory principal components analysis yielded a one factor solution for GAD-7 across sexes. In reducing scale length, iterative confirmatory principal components analyses stratified by sex revealed a two-item scale (GAD-Mini) with high factor loading items, internal consistency (α ≥ 0.85), and construct validity with PHQ-2 (r ≥ 0.55). Normative data indicate that regardless of whether GAD-7, GAD-2, or GAD-Mini scores were considered, about three-quarters of men and two-thirds of women scored below the reasonable cut-points in screening for GAD. Conclusion: Findings from this study may help health care providers and researchers better understand the interpretation of these scales among university students when screening for GAD.
AB - Objective: The Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7 & GAD-2) scales are reliable and valid instruments for assessing generalized anxiety symptoms in the general and clinical populations. However, little attention has been given to the psychometric qualities of GAD-7 and reduced length versions in a diverse sample of young adult college students stratified by sex. Thus, the aims for this study are to test psychometric properties and normative values of GAD-7, GAD-2, and GAD-Mini scales. Method: U.S university students (N = 4128; females n = 2527, males n = 1601) ages 18–26 years completed an online survey composed of the GAD-7, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2), and demographic questions. Results: Exploratory principal components analysis yielded a one factor solution for GAD-7 across sexes. In reducing scale length, iterative confirmatory principal components analyses stratified by sex revealed a two-item scale (GAD-Mini) with high factor loading items, internal consistency (α ≥ 0.85), and construct validity with PHQ-2 (r ≥ 0.55). Normative data indicate that regardless of whether GAD-7, GAD-2, or GAD-Mini scores were considered, about three-quarters of men and two-thirds of women scored below the reasonable cut-points in screening for GAD. Conclusion: Findings from this study may help health care providers and researchers better understand the interpretation of these scales among university students when screening for GAD.
KW - Anxiety
KW - Generalized anxiety disorder
KW - Psychometrics
KW - University students
KW - Young adults
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U2 - 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2021.01.002
DO - 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2021.01.002
M3 - Article
C2 - 33571925
AN - SCOPUS:85100680358
SN - 0163-8343
VL - 69
SP - 61
EP - 66
JO - General Hospital Psychiatry
JF - General Hospital Psychiatry
ER -