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(Re)examining the Factorial sstructure of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 in a College Students Sample

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2020

S. Monteiro ,
A. Bártolo ,
A. Torres  and
A. Pereira
S. Monteiro
Affiliation:
University of Aveiro, Department of Education and Psychology, Aveiro, Portugal CINTESIS, Center for Health Technology and Services Research, Faculty of Medicine- University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
A. Bártolo
Affiliation:
University of Aveiro, Department of Education and Psychology, Aveiro, Portugal
A. Torres
Affiliation:
CINTESIS, Center for Health Technology and Services Research, Faculty of Medicine- University of Porto, Porto, Portugal ESEnfCVPOA, Portuguese Red Cross Nursing School of Oliveira de Azeméis, ESEnfCVPOA, Portuguese Red Cross Nursing School of Oliveira de Azeméis, Oliveira de Azeméis, Portugal
A. Pereira
Affiliation:
University of Aveiro, Department of Education and Psychology, Aveiro, Portugal CIDTFF, Didactics and Technology in Education of Trainers, Departament of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal

Abstract

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Introduction

Generalized anxiety in young adults during college career is a serious public-health problem that untreated has a chronic course. Research has shown that the self-report questionnaire generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) is a reliable and valid measure to assess generalized anxiety symptoms severity in heterogeneous psychiatric samples. However, GAD-7 is not available for non-clinical populations and their factor structure has not been re-examined.

Objectives

Our objective was to examine factor structure and measurement invariance of the GAD-7 among college students testing two alternatives models.

Aims

The original model fit of single-factor was compared to two-factor model that considered in comprehensive approach of generalized anxiety the assessment of cognitive-emotional nature and somatic symptoms.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study the GAD-7 was administrated to college students (n = 1031) recruited in the six schools which compose the Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, Portugal. Confirmatory factor analysis was used testing two models.

Results

Among college students, 32.8% reported significant generalized anxiety symptoms. The original unidimensional structure of GAD-7 was confirmed but the two-factor model comprising cognitive–emotional and somatic factors presented better fit to the data (χ2(1) = 21.01, P < 0001). This latent factor were positively associated (r = 0.51, P < 0.001) and presented a good internal consistency (α = 0.85 and α = 0.86 for cognitive-emotional and somatic items, respectively). The invariance factor of two-factor model across gender was also confirmed.

Conclusions

Results indicate that within college communities the GAD-7 integrates two stable generalized anxiety factors related but independent structure. The GAD-7 can be an adequate measure to detected generalized anxiety symptoms in this population.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Type
e-Poster walk: Anxiety disorders and somatoform disorders
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 41 , Issue S1: Abstract of the 25th European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2017 , pp. S109
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2017
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