Severity and internal consistency of self-reported anxiety in psychotic outpatients

To assess the severity of self-reported anxiety in psychiatric adult out-patients (≥ 18 yr. old) who were diagnosed with psychotic disorders, the Beck Anxiety Inventory was administered to 55 (50%) women and 55 (50%) men who were diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, schizoaffective, or delusional disorders. The internal consistency of the scores was high (coefficient α=.92), and the scores were not significantly correlated with sex, being Euro-American, or age. Furthermore, the mean scores of the three diagnostic groups were comparable. Based on the interpretive cutoff score guidelines given in the manual, 24% of the patients were mildly anxious, 22% were moderately anxious, and 18% were severely anxious. The results are discussed as indicating that there is a high prevalence of self-reported anxiety in outpatients who are diagnosed with psychotic disorders.