Diagnostic measures and underlying anxiety constructs: An analysis of correspondence

Abstract

Diagnostically based measures of anxiety have begun to emerge as a complement to measures of underlying symptoms. While psychometric analyses generally suggest good association between the diagnostic and symptom measures, the extent to which they tap common constructs that are distinct from other anxiety constructs is less clear. Diagnostic and symptom measures of panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GSD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) were obtained from 453 undergraduate students. Structural models, wherein each pairing of diagnostic and symptom measures loaded together onto Panic, OCD, and GAD constructs, respectively, were developed and tested. Poor fit was observed for each model; therefore data were subjected to principal axis factoring. Results suggested that both panic measures loaded onto a single factor that was distinct from a generalized anxiety factor, upon which both generalized anxiety measures loaded. The diagnostic and symptom measures of OCD, however, loaded on separate factors suggesting potential validity problems. Implications for the assessment of anxiety disorders are discussed.

Notes

1. Similar factor loadings were also observed when examining men and women separately.