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Anxiety: Overview

Anxiety: Overview

Anxiety is a common mental disorder featuring excessive worry, fear, and apprehension, significantly affecting daily life. People with anxiety disorders experience persistent and intense anxiety, interrupting their everyday functioning.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 18, 2026

The Successive Alleys Test of Anxiety in Mice and Rats

The Successive Alleys Test of Anxiety in Mice and Rats

Published on: June 17, 2013

What do anxiety scales measure?

P Keedwell¹, R P Snaith

¹St James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK.

Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica

|March 1, 1996

Summary

Researchers often use anxiety assessment instruments without understanding what they measure. A review found these scales assess different psychopathology areas, necessitating a re-evaluation of their assumed shared construct.

Area of Science:

Psychology
Psychiatry
Measurement in Health

Background:

Current research frequently utilizes instruments for anxiety assessment.
There is a lack of critical evaluation regarding the specific constructs these instruments measure.
This reliance on unexamined instruments may lead to inaccurate research findings.

Purpose of the Study:

To survey frequently used anxiety rating scales.
To examine the alignment of scale items with major aspects of anxiety.
To highlight the need for greater precision in anxiety measurement.

Main Methods:

A systematic survey of prevalent anxiety rating scales was conducted.
Items within each scale were analyzed and categorized according to the aspects of anxiety they purportedly assess.

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Last Updated: Jul 18, 2026

The Successive Alleys Test of Anxiety in Mice and Rats

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Published on: June 17, 2013

Using the Threat Probability Task to Assess Anxiety and Fear During Uncertain and Certain Threat

Using the Threat Probability Task to Assess Anxiety and Fear During Uncertain and Certain Threat

Published on: September 12, 2014

Reducing State Anxiety Using Working Memory Maintenance

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Published on: July 19, 2017

Comparative analysis of item allocation across different scales was performed.

Main Results:

The analyzed anxiety rating scales were found to measure disparate areas of psychopathology.
Significant variation exists in the constructs targeted by different anxiety assessment tools.
The assumption that these scales measure a uniform anxiety construct is not supported.

Conclusions:

Further research necessitates a more critical examination of anxiety assessment instruments.
The assumption that all anxiety scales measure the same construct should be abandoned.
Future studies must carefully consider the specific nature and scope of each instrument used for anxiety assessment.