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Updated: May 8, 2026
06:58
Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing
Published on: January 24, 2020
Geriatric anxiety inventory: factor structure and associations with cognitive status
Gretchen J Diefenbach1, Laura B Bragdon2, Karen Blank3
1Anxiety Disorders Center, The Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT; Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
Summary
Anxiety symptoms, particularly excessive worry and indecisiveness, are common in cognitive impairment. The Geriatric Anxiety Inventory effectively identifies these symptoms, aiding in the assessment of cognitive decline.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric psychiatry
- Neuropsychology
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Anxiety is prevalent in older adults, and its relationship with cognitive impairment requires further investigation.
- The Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) is a tool used to assess anxiety symptoms in older populations.
- Understanding the factor structure and clinical correlates of the GAI is crucial for its application in patients with cognitive impairment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the factor structure of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) in patients with cognitive impairment.
- To examine the clinical correlates of GAI scores in relation to cognitive status and other clinical measures.
- To evaluate the psychometric properties of both the 20-item and 5-item short form of the GAI in this population.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study was conducted at an outpatient Memory Disorders Center.
- Participants included individuals with mild dementia (N=45), cognitive impairment no dementia (N=55), and a comparison group without memory complaints (N=50).
- The Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (20-item and 5-item short form), cognitive status measures, depressive symptom scales, and functioning assessments were administered.
Main Results:
- The Geriatric Anxiety Inventory demonstrated an acceptable four-factor structure in patients with cognitive impairment.
- Anxiety symptoms, specifically excessive worry (OR: 1.86) and difficulty making decisions (OR: 5.70), were significantly associated with cognitive impairment.
- The 5-item short form of the GAI also showed a significant association with cognitive impairment (OR: 2.02).
Conclusions:
- The Geriatric Anxiety Inventory is a psychometrically sound measure for assessing anxiety in individuals with cognitive impairment.
- Anxiety symptoms, particularly those related to worry and decision-making, are strongly linked to cognitive status.
- These findings highlight the importance of assessing anxiety in the evaluation of cognitive impairment.
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