Nordic Journal of Psychiatry最新文献

{"title":"Data resource profile: treatment effect - data from the mental health services of the capital region of Denmark.","authors":"Frederikke Hørdam Gronemann, Sebastian Simonsen, Martin Balslev Jørgensen, Merete Osler","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2025.2480172","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08039488.2025.2480172","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Patients with a high probability of remission in response to low-cost therapies may be identified using a battery of inexpensive clinical predictors in large observational samples. Treatment Effect Data from the Mental Health Services of the Capital Region of Denmark contributes with valuable data on individuals with a non-psychotic psychiatric disorder referred to psychotherapeutic treatment. The aim of this paper is to introduce the content of Treatment Effect Data for patients with non-psychotic major depression (MD) or anxiety disorders (AD) in Denmark.</p><p><strong>Data collected: </strong>In Denmark the provision of psychiatric treatment is nationwide and in August 2007, the Mental Health Services of the Capital Region of Denmark launched a regional patient-reported system, Treatment Effect. All individuals residing within the Capital region of Denmark referred to psychotherapeutic treatment with a non-psychotic psychiatric disorder (e.g. AD, MD, eating disorders) electronically report symptoms, quality of life, and social functioning prior to and by the end of the treatment course.</p><p><strong>Data resource use: </strong>Between 2007 and 2021, a total of 18,700 unique patient courses, in which individuals were diagnosed with either non-psychotic MD or AD, received standardized psychotherapeutic treatment. The patients mean age at the initial interview was 34.7 years and 71.7% were women. Half of the patients (51.6%) had severe (29.8%) or moderate (21.7%) depression according to the Major Depression Inventory.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Treatment Effect data provides a unique opportunity to examine treatment effects among a large cohort of unselected patients with AD and MD, but this data resource has been scarcely used for research.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143692537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"PTSD screening using a ten-item checklist of psychological symptoms: a large-scale military veteran sample and a civilian comparison group.","authors":"Gerry Larsson, Sofia Nilsson, Alicia Ohlsson, Sofia Svensén, Marianne Stensvehagen","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2025.2479684","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08039488.2025.2479684","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The aim was to explore if self-rated psychological symptoms in military veterans covary strong enough with established PTSD scales to make a symptom checklist a useful screening tool.</p><p><strong>Methodology: </strong>A Swedish sample of military veterans (<i>n</i> = 1,859) responded to a questionnaire which contained a checklist of ten psychological symptoms and a test of PTSD indication. The items measured the situation during the last month. All symptoms had the following response choices: 1 (<i>Never</i>), 2 (<i>Seldom</i>), 3 (<i>Sometimes</i>), 4 (<i>Often</i>) and 5 (<i>Very often</i>). The choices Often and Very often were combined and form the basis of the analysis.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>The majority of individuals in the military sample reported that they had not experienced any of the ten psychological symptoms often or very often during the last month. Approximately 5% of the men and 9% of the women scored five symptoms or more. Among the men who reported five symptoms or more, about one third scored above a higher established PTSD cut-off value (PCL-4 > 44).</p><p><strong>Originality: </strong>The psychological symptom checklist represents a new approach to PTSD indication screening and identification of individuals who may need further support.</p><p><strong>Research limitations and strengths: </strong>Clinical assessment of PTSD would be a necessary complement for those that indicate further need. Study strengths include a large sample, use of established scales and a straightforward and simple statistical analysis.</p><p><strong>Practical implications: </strong>The checklist is easy to administer and score. After a brief introduction, it takes about two minutes to complete.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"1-6"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143657425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Self-reported depressive and anxiety symptoms associated with fitness for military service and social-communicative skills in young Finnish men.","authors":"Jan Silvala, Raija Korpelainen, Heli Koivumaa-Honkanen, Carlos Sirkiä, Kai Parkkola, Anneli Yliherva, Anja Taanila, Tuula Hurtig","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2025.2475932","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08039488.2025.2475932","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Studies on the association of self-reported depressive and anxiety symptoms with release from compulsory military service at the military call-up and with social-communicative difficulties are scarce.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>This study is a part of population-based cross-sectional 'Young Men in the North' project (<i>N</i> = 2614 men, mean age 18.1). The Finnish Defence Forces arranges compulsory military call-ups for all Finnish 18-year-old male citizens, where our study subjects and filled out questionnaire including Raitasalo's modification of the Short Form of Beck Depression Inventory (R-BDI) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7), and three questions on social-communicative difficulties based on the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. Young men's fitness for military service (fit, permanent or temporary release) was obtained from the call-up board.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Self-reported depressive symptoms were associated with permanent (OR = 6.6; 95% CI 3.88-11.20) and temporary (OR = 9.2; 95% CI 5.59-15.04) release from military service. These odds ratios for anxiety symptoms were 3.1 (95% CI 2.11-4.64) and 4.1 (95% CI 2.80-5.94). Depressive (OR = 5.7; 95% CI 3.88-11.20) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 3.2; 95% CI 2.47-4.17) were associated with self-reported social-communicative difficulties.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Self-reported depressive and anxiety symptoms were associated with release from service as well as with social-communicative difficulties in young men. The early-onset mental health problems in young men seem to manifest at call-up as being unfit for the military service. Screening symptoms of depression and anxiety with self-reported scales defined those with mild, moderate or severe symptoms at risk for release from service.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143649699","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development and validation of a new measure for forced migrants/refugees: the Screening of Refugees Self-Report (ScoRE-SR).","authors":"Etzel Cardeña, Charlotte Sonne, Erik Vindbjerg, Jessica Carlsson Lohmann, Matti Cervin, Derrick Silove, Joshua Hall, Mariano Coello, Shakeh Momartin, Sabina Gušić, Jorge Aroche","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2025.2475940","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08039488.2025.2475940","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To remedy the lack of a measure that jointly assesses the psychological status and impact of migration stressors among forced migrants, we developed and tested the Screening of Refugees Self-Report (ScoRE-SR) Questionnaire.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Four institutions with expertise on posttraumatic symptomatology and/or migration stressors developed the ScoRE-SR through an iterative process also involving consultation with migrants and experts. The measure consists of 54 items on functioning, migration stressors, and posttraumatic symptomatology. It was administered in English, Danish, Arabic, Farsi, Dari, and Tamil to migrants (<i>N</i> = 149) from different countries and residency types (citizen, permanent resident, holder of temporary protection visa, and Asylum Seeker) at refugee assistance institutions in Australia and Denmark.</p><p><strong>Analyses: </strong>The measure's internal psychometric properties were evaluated through confirmatory factor analyses and test-retest (at 2-3 months) intraclass correlations. Its convergent validity was evaluated through correlating the measure with questionnaires expected to relate to it.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The original 13 theoretical factors of the Score-SR showed adequate model-data fit, but CFAs indicated that a factor structure with 6 broader factors was more appropriate. These factors (emotional distress, anger, concerns about family/friends in other countries, concerns about family/friends in country of resettlement, adjustment/resettlement/practical difficulties, and impairment) were internally consistent, showed adequate temporal stability, and correlated as expected with measures of posttraumatic symptomatology and well-being.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The ScoRE-SR is a valid measure of different types of migrants' distress and/or adjustment, filling a current gap and providing essential information for migrants' guidance and treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143586454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Treatment as involuntary, incompatible, and intimidating: exploring dropout processes in a randomized controlled trial for eating disorders.","authors":"Malin E Olofsson, Eline Fahret Born, Mari Sandnes Vehus, KariAnne Vrabel","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2025.2473614","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08039488.2025.2473614","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Ambivalence to treatment and dropout are particularly common in Eating Disorder (ED) treatment, hindering recovery and posing a serious threat to the external validity of outcome research. Attrition may bias findings of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and exacerbates the risk that complex cases are underestimated, which is serious since RCTs inform the development of evidence-based practices. An increased understanding of dropout processes may contribute to increased patient retention, still, patients' perspectives on voluntary dropout are rare.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>We explore the treatment responses involved in voluntary dropout processes in an RCT. Six female, cis-gendered non-completers were interviewed after dropout; rich descriptions from few informants rendered Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis suitable.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We developed three Master Themes with two subthemes each: «I had no choice» (fear of disappointing, other-orientation), «I did not fit in» (alienation, poor fit of treatment), «I left to survive» (Existing through the illness, Need to regain control of self) under the overarching Core Master Theme «Treatment as involuntary, incompatible, and intimidating».</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Our findings underscored the centrality of perceived coercion, feeling pressured to choose recovery, alienation, misalignment with treatment goals, and the seemingly existential and critical urge to regain control of self during overwhelming emotions evoked when confronted with mandatory treatment components. RCT non-completers' accounts corroborate previous patient-as-expert research on dropout experiences in naturalistic settings. Refined methods are called for to bridge the research-practice gap.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143567792","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Physical activity targeting patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital- a mixed method feasibility study.","authors":"Camilla Richter, Ida Ulriksen, Esther Krogh Petersen, Kim Mogensbæk Poulsen, Anette Juel, Lene Lauge Berring","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2025.2472795","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08039488.2025.2472795","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Physical activity (PA) shows positive effects on mental illness. PA and the use of municipal rehabilitation after discharge from psychiatric hospitalisation are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of an intervention consisting of structured PA during hospitalisation and the use of a personalised physical activity plan and referral for municipal rehabilitation after discharge.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A mixed-method design was used to explore the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. Changes in health-related quality of life and physical function were measured using a six-minute walk test, a 30-second sit-to-stand test, handgrip strength, and patient reported outcomes (SF-36 and the Patient Specific Functional Scale [PSFS]). Qualitative results were further explored through semi-structured telephone interviews with twelve participants three weeks after discharge.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twenty-six participants completed the intervention (median age: 46 years old; female: 57.7%). Improvements were seen in the PSFS. For SF-36, overall improvements were observed in the subscales physical function, well-being, and social function. Participants adhered to 61.5% of the scheduled physical activity sessions, 88% received a personalised physical activity plan, and 57% received municipal rehabilitation. The clinical provider played an important role in terms of motivation, structure, and knowledge about physical activity.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Physical activity during hospitalisation, a personalised physical activity plan, and municipal rehabilitation was feasible for persons with mental illness. Positive changes were observed in the following self-reported outcomes: Quality of life, physical function, and social function, and participants reported moderate to good acceptance of the intervention.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143567789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adverse childhood experiences in children with neurodevelopmental disorders and their parents.","authors":"Maria Davidsson, Frida Ringström, Bibbi Hagberg, Christopher Gillberg, Eva Billstedt","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2025.2469737","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08039488.2025.2469737","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events associated with negative health outcomes. Children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) are at increased risk of ACEs, however, research on ACEs in children with NDD and their parents, and its possible relation to child problems, is limited. We aimed to explore the association between ACEs in parents and children; if there is an association between parental ACEs and NDD traits, and if ACEs in parents or children are associated with the child's emotional behavioral problems.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study included 86 mothers, 37 fathers, and 48 children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), recruited from two child psychiatric clinics in Sweden. Parents provided demographic information and reported their own ACEs, NDD traits, and their children's emotional and behavioral problems. Children responded to measure of ACEs.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Maternal ACEs were significantly correlated with child ACEs (<i>r</i> = 0.382, <i>p</i> = 0.034), as well as with maternal ADHD traits (<i>r</i> = 0.451, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and ASD traits (<i>r</i> = 0.451, <i>p</i> < 0.001). Child ACEs also correlated with child emotional problems (<i>r</i> = 0.304, <i>p</i> = 0.038). Regression analysis revealed a relationship between maternal ACEs and child emotional and behavioral problems (<i>β</i> = 0.511, <i>p</i> = 0.036). None of these associations were found in fathers.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study highlights the need for ACE screenings in evaluations of children with ADHD/ASD and suggests clinicians to consider maternal trauma and maternal NDD traits. Future research should explore paternal involvement.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143502551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multicenter screening for ADHD among school-age pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes - study protocol.","authors":"Hanna Kuśmierczyk-Kozieł, Arkadiusz Michalak, Jędrzej Chrzanowski, Katarzyna Błaziak, Beata Mianowska, Agnieszka Szadkowska, Agata Chobot, Przemysława Jarosz-Chobot, Małgorzata Myśliwiec, Iwona Makowska, Anna Kalenik, Marcin Rzeszutek, Monika Zamarlik, Ewa Rusak, Anna Kaczmarek, Aleksandra Nowak, Magdalena Połaniecka, Malwina Musiał-Paździor, Klaudia Szmigiel, Anna Sobota-Krawczyk, Marta Rutkowska, Tomasz Wolańczyk, Wojciech Fendler, Agnieszka Butwicka","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2025.2455555","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08039488.2025.2455555","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental condition that affects approximately 5% of the pediatric population, with increased prevalence among those with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Reports suggest that unrecognized and untreated ADHD impairs T1D control and that ADHD may be underdiagnosed in the Polish population. The International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes recommends neurodevelopmental assessments in children with T1D, but specific guidelines on procedures and implementation are lacking. Therefore, we designed a systemic screening protocol aimed at assessing the prevalence of ADHD among Polish children with T1D that could be utilized in clinical practice.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>The protocol for the study was approved by the Bioethical Committee at the Medical University of Lodz (RNN/280/21/KE). Participation is offered to all children aged 8-16 y.o. with T1D duration ≥1 year and without significant comorbidities (epilepsy, intellectual disability). The protocol includes a first-line procedure using the short version of the Conners 3 questionnaire and on-site structured consultation with a psychologist for those with increased risk of ADHD (utilizing detailed Conners 3 and MINI-Kid questionnaires), followed by a video consultation with a psychiatrist.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The screening was initiated between January and May 2023 and is ongoing in four Polish reference pediatric centers. These centers provide diabetes care to approximately 2,500 youth with T1D. Over 36 months, our goal is to assist in diagnosing ADHD in approximately 190 children.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Comorbidity of ADHD and T1D remains an unrecognized challenge for pediatric psychiatric and diabetes care, and there is a need for effective diagnostic protocols.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"136-145"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143040611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effectiveness of a multidisciplinary outreach intervention for individuals with severe mental illness in supported accommodation.","authors":"Camilla Munch Nielsen, Carsten Hjorthøj, Anders Helbo, Bjørn Peter Madsen, Merete Nordentoft, Lone Baandrup","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2025.2451371","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08039488.2025.2451371","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>People living in supported accommodation often have complex care needs, including longer-term mental health illness and physical health comorbidities. Effective coordination between health and supported accommodation services is crucial to address these needs. However, evidence on the effectiveness of healthcare interventions in this setting remains limited. This study assesses the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary outreach intervention providing on-site healthcare for people living in supported accommodation on outcomes related to antipsychotic prescribing and physical co-morbidity.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A mirror-image study was conducted to assess changes between pre- and post-service periods. Pre-index outcomes were collected as a cross-sectional measure in September 2020, and post-index outcomes were collected every six months until October 2022. People living at two supported accommodation services in the Capital Region of Denmark were included.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study included 74 people living in supported accommodation with contact to a multidisciplinary outreach team. The introduction of a multidisciplinary outreach team had no significant effect on antipsychotic prescription patterns, including antipsychotic polypharmacy, high-dose regimens, and combinations with benzodiazepines. The physical health evaluations identified a notable number of participants with untreated or dysregulated physical illness.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This multidisciplinary outreach intervention for people living in supported accommodation had limited effect on antipsychotic prescribing patterns within the observation period. However, the outreach team identified and managed physical illness for a substantial portion of the study population, highlighting the importance of integrating physical health care into mental health interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"120-127"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143040609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Structural validity of the Anxiety Symptom Scale - a Danish validation study.","authors":"Henrik Schou Pedersen, Karl Bang Christensen, Anders Prior, Kaj Sparle Christensen","doi":"10.1080/08039488.2025.2466642","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08039488.2025.2466642","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The Anxiety Symptom Scale (ASS) is a ten-item psychometric test, which is frequently used for screening purposes in Danish general practice. The ASS includes nine items on symptoms of anxiety disorders and one item on functional impairment caused by these symptoms. Previous research indicates that reducing the number of response categories may benefit the test and that it may provide a unidimensional measure of global anxiety.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We made a modified version of the ASS with fewer response categories per item. We compared the structure of the two versions in a cohort of respondents recruited from three different settings: general practitioner during a consultation (setting 1), mental health associations (setting 2), and waiting room in a single general practice (setting 3).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Both versions were fitted to a bifactor model; the nine anxiety items loaded on a general factor, and the individual items addressing specific anxiety disorders loaded on their specific factor. The original version provided a better fit than the modified version. The model suggests that the ASS measures primarily a single underlying trait. Functional impairment was well predicted by the general factor.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The first nine items of the ASS can be considered a unidimensional measure of global anxiety, showing a substantial correlation with functional impairment. This makes the instrument useful for general practitioners in making initial treatment decisions. The performance of the instrument did not improve by reducing the number of response categories or removing one of the panic anxiety attack items.</p>","PeriodicalId":19201,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Journal of Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"166-174"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143458745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}