Resumen

LOZANO-VARGAS, Antonio  y  VEGA-DIENSTMAIER, Johann M. Construction and psychometric properties of 20-item Lima Anxiety Scale (LAS-20). Rev Neuropsiquiatr [online]. 2018, vol.81, n.4, pp.226-234. ISSN 0034-8597.  http://dx.doi.org/10.20453/rnp.v81i4.3437.

Objective: To select the most representative items of a 130-item anxiety scale (Lima Anxiety Scale, LAS-130) in order to construct a shorter version of 20 items (LAS-20). Methods: Based on the data of the 254 patients included in the previous validation study of LAS-130, multiple regression analysis was used to identify the items that best predicted the total scores of each of 5 subscales corresponding to 5 syndromes included in the original scale (psychic anxiety, physical symptoms, panic, agoraphobia and social phobia). In addition, a factorial analysis of the polychoric matrix of the new scale (LAS-20) was performed. Results: LAS-20 had a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.8885, and its 20 items covered 90.38% of the total score variance of LAS-130. In LAS-20, 4 factors were identified corresponding to physical anxiety, social phobia, psychic anxiety and agoraphobia. Using a cut-off score of =10, equilibrium between sensitivity and specificity was obtained for detection of a CGI-S= 4. Conclusions: The 20 items selected for the LAS-20 allow to evaluate 4 anxiety dimensions with a minimum loss of information when compared to the LAS-130. A cut-off score of = 10 is suggested as an indicator of anxiety of moderate or higher severity.

Palabras clave : Psychometrics; anxiety; phobic disorders.

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