ASSESSMENT OF ANXIETY IN-HOSPITAL PATIENTS

There has been research in North America to validate the nursing diagn osis of anxiety. As part of this work, Young used the defining charact eristics and developed a tool to measure anxiety. The present research sought to extend that study in the United Kingdom, assess the anxiety -defining characteristics tool and identify key indicators of anxiety that might be useful in clinical practice. Four anxiety measurements t ools, drawn from the literature, were used. These were the state trait anxiety inventory, the graphic anxiety scale, the hospital anxiety an d depression scale, and the anxiety-defining characteristics tool. A r andom sample of 79 hospitalized patients were interviewed and their an xiety rated using all four measures. Calculation of Spearman's correla tion co-efficients revealed convergent validity between the anxiety-de fining characteristics tool and the state trait anxiety inventory and the anxiety score on the hospital anxiety and depression scale. Anxiet y levels were found not to be affected by the age or sex of the respon dent, or the length of stay or number of previous admissions. Discrimi nant analysis suggested that six characteristics adequately discrimina ted anxious subjects: sweating, faintness, tendency to blame others, c ontinual review of things in their mind, focus on self and a lack of s elf-confidence. The study concluded that there is a scope for further research into these characteristics and their use in clinical practice .