An exploratory and confirmatory factor-analytic investigation of the tripartite model of anxiety and depression in older adults /
The purpose of the study was to test the fit of the tripartite model of anxiety and depression (Watson & Clark, 1991) with a national normative sample of older adults, aged 55-90 (N = 923), and a sample of raters of older adults (N = 929). The data were factor analyzed in stages to test the fit...
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| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
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[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
2002.
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| Online Access: | http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=765073041&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=2945&RQT=309&VName=PQD |
| Summary: | The purpose of the study was to test the fit of the tripartite model of anxiety and depression (Watson & Clark, 1991) with a national normative sample of older adults, aged 55-90 (N = 923), and a sample of raters of older adults (N = 929). The data were factor analyzed in stages to test the fit of the data to the theoretical model. First, exploratory factor analyses (EFA) using subsamples from the older adult data (n = 307) and rater data (n = 308) were conducted using principle-axis factoring with varimax rotation. In the second stage, a confirmatory factor analysis model of tripartite structure based on the results of the EFA was specified a priori and its validity was tested on a random subsample of older adults (n = 298) and raters of older adults (n = 300). Given findings of inadequate fit, post hoc model fitting was conducted to identify the most plausible baseline model across the two samples. In the third stage, the final respecified model was cross-validated with a third independent sample of older adults (n = 310) and raters of older adults (n = 311) to address replicability. The General Distress and Anhedonia factors that emerged in both EFAs were very similar to those identified by Watson et al. (1995b) and others. The third anxiety-specific factor was saturated by symptoms of physical pain and discomfort rather than anxious arousal as observed in younger adults. While the fit of the final hypothetical model was barely adequate based on fit indices, the CFA model was confirmed in a cross-validation study with the third independent sample of older adults and raters of older adults. These results suggest that symptoms of autonomic arousal evident in younger adults may be obscured in older adults by the effects of aging, medical illness, and the side effects of taking medications. When assessing older adults for anxiety disorders that include symptoms of panic, such as Panic Disorder, Social Phobia, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Acute Stress Disorder, clinicians are encouraged to ensure that anxious symptoms are not masked by physical pain. |
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| Item Description: | Vita. "Major Subject: Counseling Psychology". |
| Physical Description: | xii, 267 leaves : illustrations ; 28 cm. Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilm Inc. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 218-251). |