Validity and reliability of the COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale in Canadian dentists

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a high level of mental health problems for the population worldwide including healthcare workers. Several studies have assessed these using measurements for anxiety for general populations. The COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C-19ASS) is a self-report measure developed to assess maladaptive forms of coping with COVID-19 (avoidance, threat monitoring and worry) among a general adult population in the United States. We used it in a prospective cohort study of COVID-19 incidence rates in practising Canadian dentists. We therefore need to ensure that it is valid for dentists in French and English languages. This study aimed to evaluate the validity of the C-19ASS in that population.

Cross-sectional data from the January 2021 monthly follow-up in our prospective cohort study were used. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were performed.

The results of EFA revealed a 2-factor structure solution that explained 47% of the total variance. The CFA showed a good model fit on the data in both English and French languages. The Cronbach's alpha indicated acceptable levels of reliability. Furthermore, the C-19ASS showed excellent divergent validity from the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale.

The C-19ASS is valid and reliable instrument to measure COVID-19-related anxiety in English and French among Canadian dentists.

This validated measure will contribute to understanding of the mental health impact of the pandemic on dentists in Canada and enable the dental regulatory authorities and organizations to intervene to help dentists.