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

Anxiety has been identified in the research literature on alcohol abusers as an important clinical variable. Little published data on State- and Trait-Anxiety scores from the STAI (Form Y) are available. Pre- and post-treatment STAI -Y scores were examined from two independent, but similar samples of male inpatients at a VA Medical Center Alcohol Dependence Treatment Unit. Additional normative data from both samples are presented (N = 219). Scores for both State- and Trait-Anxiety were compared between samples; no significant differences were found except for post-treatment Trait-Anxiety. The 1980 sample scored lower on this subscale. The findings suggest that the STAI (Form Y) is a stable instrument across time when used to assess anxiety in an alcoholic population. The need for further investigation on the correlates between observable behaviors of alcoholics and the personality construct of anxiety is discussed.