Cross-validation of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory with an alcoholic population.

Area of Science:

• Clinical Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Addiction Medicine

Background:

• Anxiety is a significant clinical factor in individuals with alcohol abuse.
• Limited published data exists on State- and Trait-Anxiety scores using the STAI (Form Y) in this population.
• The STAI (Form Y) is a widely used self-report measure for assessing anxiety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine pre- and post-treatment State- and Trait-Anxiety scores from the STAI (Form Y) in male inpatients with alcohol dependence.
• To present normative data for the STAI (Form Y) in a sample of male alcohol abusers.
• To assess the stability of the STAI (Form Y) as an instrument for measuring anxiety in this population.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of pre- and post-treatment STAI (Form Y) scores from two independent samples of male inpatients (N = 219) at a VA Medical Center Alcohol Dependence Treatment Unit.
• Comparison of State- and Trait-Anxiety scores between the two samples.
• Presentation of normative data for both State- and Trait-Anxiety.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were found between the two samples for State-Anxiety or pre-treatment Trait-Anxiety.
• A significant difference was observed in post-treatment Trait-Anxiety, with the 1980 sample scoring lower.
• The STAI (Form Y) demonstrated stability across time when assessing anxiety in the alcoholic population studied.

Conclusions:

• The STAI (Form Y) is a reliable instrument for assessing anxiety in male patients undergoing treatment for alcohol dependence.
• The study provides valuable normative data for the STAI (Form Y) in this specific clinical group.
• Further research is needed to explore the relationship between observable behaviors in alcoholics and the personality construct of anxiety.