Screening and assessing adult asthmatics for anxiety disorders

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a strategy designed to permit early detection of anxiety disorders in asthmatics. Ninety-one adult asthmatics were screened for anxiety disorders using the Sheehan Patient Rated Anxiety Scale (SPRAS) and the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) and then individually evaluated by a nurse trained in the administration of the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule-IV (ADIS-IV. Thirty-five (38%) of the participants met the diagnostic criteria for one or more anxiety disorders. Comparison of the SPRAS and ASI findings revealed that the SPRAS was more effective in detecting asthmatics likely to be suffering from coexisting anxiety disorders. Comparison of the nurses diagnostic formulations with those of an expert revealed that trained nurses using the ADIS-IV can diagnose anxiety disorders in the asthmatic population with a high degree of accuracy. These results have implications for resolving the problem of unrecognized and untreated anxiety disorders in the asthmatic population.