On the Measurement of Aging Anxiety: Comparative Validity of Two Popular Measures Among Older Adults.

Aging anxiety is a distinct form of fear characterized by negative feelings associated with growing older. This study directly compared two common measures of aging anxiety within an older adult sample. Participants completed the Anxiety about Aging Scale, the Personal Anxiety Toward Aging Scale and several related constructs including ageism, expectations regarding aging, dementia worry, and death anxiety.

Personality disorders in older adults: Differences in self-informant ratings.

Previous research on self-informant reports in assessing personality disorders (PDs) has been mainly focused on adults, leaving older adults under-studied. We examined self-informant agreement in PD screening among older adults (≥60 years) using the Gerontological Personality disorders Scale (GPS). Potential differences such as who reports more personality pathology on a PD screener (i.

Relationships Between Diverse Forms of Anxiety With Intrapersonal Functioning Among Older Adults.

This study assessed how clinical anxiety, anxiety about aging, and death anxiety related to one another and to intrapersonal functioning. Older adults completed the Geriatric Anxiety Scale, Anxiety About Aging Scale, Death Anxiety Scale-Extended, and Intrapersonal Problems Rating Scale. Clinical anxiety was strongly correlated with anxiety about aging ( = .

Assessment of Personality Disorders in Older Adults. A Practice Guide.

Assessment of personality disorders (PDs) in older adults is a nuanced trade of its own. The aim of this practice guide is to illustrate gerontological assessment challenges using 3 case vignettes. We argue that it is important to pay extra attention to the influence of cognitive and medical (somatic) disorders on personality functioning in older adults during personality assessment.

Relationship between anxiety and quality of life among older adults with self-reported polypharmacy in long-term care: A cross-sectional study.

Aims: To investigate the relationship between anxiety and quality of life among older adults with self-reported polypharmacy living in the long-term care setting.

Design: A cross-sectional design was used.

Methods: Between July 2021 and August 2022, 92 older adults living in long-term care completed an anonymous one-time questionnaire packet.

Assessing late-life anxiety in Japanese older adults: psychometric evaluation of the Japanese version of the Geriatric Anxiety Scale.

Background: This study developed a Japanese version of the Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS-J) and its short form (GAS-10-J) to evaluate anxiety in Japanese older adults and assess its psychometric properties using a cross-sectional design.

Methods: A total of 331 community-dwelling older adult participants (208 men, 116 women, seven unknowns; mean age = 73.47 ± 5.

Associations between physical health and the alternative model of personality disorders: A cross-sectional age study.

The Alternative Model of Personality Disorders (AMPD) is a relatively new dimensional model of personality disorders (PDs) that assesses two diagnostic constructs: personality functioning and pathological personality traits. Thus far, research on the AMPD among older adults has been limited, but the research that does exist suggests limited generalizability to the unique biopsychosocial context of later life. To further examine the applicability of the AMPD to older adults, the purpose of this study was to examine relationships between the AMPD's two constructs with perceived physical health status among younger and older adult samples.

Development and Validation of a Short Form of the Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS-12) among Italian Older Adults.

Objectives: We developed a new Italian short version of the Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS-12) and evaluated its psychometric properties. The GAS-12 specifically screens for anxiety symptoms in the Italian older adult population by identifying items that best discriminate anxiety in this population.

Methods: In Study 1, we administered the full-length Italian translation of the GAS to 517 older adults and used item response theory to identify the most discriminating items and to develop the short form used in Study 2.

Impact of self-reported cognitive dysfunction on the alternative model of personality disorders among older adults.

Method: Older adults ( = 202) completed the Levels of Personality Functioning Scale-Self-Report, Personality Inventory for , and Coolidge Axis II Inventory with its six self-report cognitive dysfunction scales.

Results: Results suggested high correlational overlap between subjective cognitive problems with personality functioning and pathological personality, as measured by the AMPD. Hierarchical regressions revealed that subjective measures of executive functions, perceptual motor, and language difficulties were most strongly related to the AMPD's constructs.

Personality, Interpersonal Problems, and Anxiety Among Older Adults.

Introduction: This study examined relationships between personality disorder (PD) features, Big Five personality traits, and interpersonal problems with anxiety.

Method: Older adults ( = 130) completed the Geriatric Anxiety Scale, Coolidge Axis Two Inventory, Big Five Inventory-2, and Circumplex Scales of Interpersonal Problems. Pearson correlation analyses were used to assess simple relationships between anxiety with PD features (CATI scales), Big Five personality domains (BFI-2 scales), and interpersonal problems (CSIP scales).

Social impairment and personality disorder features among older adults: An application of the circumplex model.

The interpersonal circumplex is a model that places interpersonal problems along two axes (communion and agency), resulting in eight theoretically derived patterns. Application of the circumplex to older adults is poorly understood. Subsequently, this study examined relationships between the interpersonal circumplex and personality disorder (PD) features among older adults, since social impairments are core components of PDs.

An Empirical Evaluation of the Alternative Model of Personality Disorders in Later Life.

Personality disorders (PDs) in the () are conceptualized as distinct clinical syndromes. However, debate persists about the clinical utility of this categorical model, with many researchers supporting a dimensional model that focuses on pathological personality traits and personality dysfunction. This model was published in Section III of and named the Alternative Model of Personality Disorders (AMPD).

Psychometric evaluation of the Levels of Personality Functioning Scale-Brief Form 2.0 among older adults.

The Levels of Personality Functioning Scale-Brief Form 2.0 (LPFS-BF 2.0) is a new measure of personality functioning according to the , alternative model of personality disorders, containing a total personality functioning score and two subscales (Self and Interpersonal).

Assessment of Anxiety in Long-Term Care Residents: Issues and Strategies.

The experience of clinically significant anxiety and anxiety disorders represent significant and often debilitating problems for many residents in long-term care (LTC) settings. However, anxiety problems often go undetected and untreated in this growing population. The purposes of this paper are to examine the prevalence and impact of anxiety problems among residents in LTC facilities, describe the efficacy of the current instruments that are used to detect anxiety in these settings, and provide clinical guidance for the thorough assessment of anxiety.

Severity Indices of Personality Problems-Short Form in Old-Age Psychiatry: Reliability and Validity.

The Severity Indices of Personality Problems (SIPP; Verheul et al., 2008) is a popular self-report questionnaire that measures severity of maladaptive personality functioning. Two studies demonstrated the utility of the short form (SIPP-SF) among older adults but validation in clinical settings is lacking.

Development of a tool to detect older adults with severe personality disorders for highly specialized care.

Objectives: Current guidelines recommend highly specialized care for patients with severe personality disorders (PDs). However, there is little knowledge about how to detect older patients with severe PDs. The aim of the current study was to develop an age-specific tool to detect older adults with severe PDs for highly specialized mental health care.

Impact of end-of-life planning on surrogate decision-maker anxiety in the US.

At the end of life, hospice patients frequently rely on surrogate decision makers (SDMs) for healthcare decisions, which creates anxiety among SDMs. This project evaluated whether an educational intervention to create a plan of care for hospice patients would reduce anxiety among SDMs. Before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and 2 weeks following the intervention SDM anxiety was measured with the Geriatric Anxiety Scale, State Trait Anxiety Inventory-State Anxiety Scale, and one question about decision-making anxiety.

Relationships between pathological narcissism and maladaptive personality traits among older adults.

The Pathological Narcissism Inventory (PNI) is a measure of narcissism, with two domains of Vulnerability and Grandiosity, that has limited evidence of validity among older adults. Subsequently, the objective of the present study was to examine relationships between the PNI and measures of diverse pathological personality features. Participants consisted of 125 community-dwelling older adults ( age = 71.

Geriatric Anxiety Scale: Development and Preliminary Validation of a Long-Term Care Anxiety Assessment Measure.

: Anxiety is a significant problem for many individuals in various long-term care (LTC) settings and is often undetected and under-treated. This study examined the psychometric properties of a new quantitative anxiety screening measure specifically designed for use in long-term care settings, the Geriatric Anxiety Scale - Long Term Care Version (GAS-LTC).: Data were collected from LTC residents ( = 66; age = 84.

Relationships Among Executive Dysfunction, Constructive Worrying, and Worry Responses in Older Adults.

Worry is a ubiquitous human experience and core symptom of anxiety. The present study examined the extent to which specific aspects of worry are related to perceived executive dysfunction in older adults. A total of 100 older adult participants ( age = 68.

Measuring Anxiety in Older Adults: Development, Diagnostic Accuracy, and Preliminary Validation of a Short-Form of the German Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS-G-SF).

Anxiety symptoms and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent among older adults, and are associated with considerable distress, functional impairment, and burden. Also, there is growing need for brief instruments to measure anxiety symptoms in primary care and geriatric medical settings. Therefore, the current study focuses on the development and psychometric evaluation of a short-form of the Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS-G), a well-established anxiety instrument for use with older adults.

Workforce Analysis of Psychological Practice With Older Adults: Growing Crisis Requires Urgent Action.

As the proportion and sheer number of older adults in the United States continues to increase, we need to plan for their behavioral health care. Access to accurate data about current workforce characteristics in psychology can provide essential information to inform workforce planning. In this paper, we present results of the American Psychological Association's Center for Workforce Studies survey of psychologists, with a focus on older adults.