Test Critique

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The Beck Anxiety Inventory was designed by Aaron T. Beck and is self report scale that consists of 21 items. The items are short and straightforward, making it easy to read and comprehend. All items are related to anxiety and describe a symptom of anxiety that is rate on a four point likert scale according to severity. The answers range from 0-3 and the responses range from “not at all” to “severely; I could barely stand it” and all items are added for a total score. The instructions on the test ask for the respondent to “indicate how much you have been bothered by each symptom during the past week, including today, by placing an X in the corresponding space in the column next to each symptom” (Dowd, 2008). The assessment is intended for adolescents and adults and can be administered individually or in a group setting. An additional copy of the inventory test is also available in Spanish. It was originally created from a sample of 810 outpatients of that were predominately affected by mood and anxiety disorders and research on the original development is described as informative and thorough.

The assessment includes a brief manual which appears to be written for a clinician to conduct. It gives directions on how to administer and score the items. The test kit also includes answer sheets and a computer scoring package. The test is also cohesive with the other assessment tests developed by Beck and they results can be easily combined with one another.

The reliability and validity were researched by using three types of studies: mixed diagnostic group, certified patients diagnosed with DSM-III-R anxiety disorders and a non-clinical sample. It should be noted that the that was used population were psychiatric patients s...

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...sessment should not be used solely for making any diagnostic decisions or decisions related to treatment of any kind but the findings do indicate that the BAI is useful in using as a supportive tool in screening for common anxiety disorders in mental health settings. The assessment would be most effective if used in a tiered diagnostic system, if time constraints interfere with conducting a tiered study then a subsample of individuals would be a suggested option for clinics who are looking for a more time efficient assessment.

References

Beck, A. T., & Steer, R. (1993). Beck Anxiety Inventory 1993 Edition. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Eack, S. M., Singer, J. B., & Greeno, C. G. (2008). Screening for Anxiety and Depression in Community Mental Health: The Beck Anxiety and Depression Inventories. Community Mental Health Journal, 44(6), 465-474.

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