Item Response Theory Analysis: PROMIS® Anxiety Form and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale.
Wen Liu, Lilian Dindo, Katherine Hadlandsmyth and 6 others
PMID 33998340WHAT IT FOUND
Both anxiety questionnaires worked well in 67 veterans after orthopedic surgery.
The PROMIS 6a may be preferable to the GAD-7 for low-to-moderate anxiety, but this is preliminary and needs testing in larger, higher-anxiety samples.
Key findings
01In 67 veterans three months after orthopedic surgery, both anxiety questionnaires worked well as measures of anxiety.
02The PROMIS 6a contributed more information about anxiety level than the GAD-7, approximately 12 versus 10.
03The GAD-7 had a response-option problem: the third category of the first six items was not the most likely response at any anxiety level.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was small, with 67 veterans, and all were after orthopedic surgery. Most participants reported low-to-moderate anxiety, so the measures were not tested well at high anxiety levels. The data came from a pilot trial, and half the sample had received Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which may have reduced anxiety. The findings apply only to U.S. veterans after orthopedic surgery with low-to-moderate self-reported anxiety.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The paper is listed as supported by N.I.H. extramural research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the PROMIS 6a should replace the GAD-7 for all patients. This was a small secondary analysis of 67 veterans after orthopedic surgery, mostly with low-to-moderate anxiety, and the authors call the evidence preliminary.