A brief online transdiagnostic measure: Psychometric properties of the Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale (OASIS) among Spanish patients with emotional disorders

PLoS One. 2018 Nov 1;13(11):e0206516. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0206516. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

The Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale (OASIS) is a self-report questionnaire designed to evaluate the severity and functional impairment associated with anxiety. Given its transdiagnostic nature, it can be used indistinctly across anxiety and depressive disorders. In this study, the psychometric properties of the online version of the OASIS were evaluated in a Spanish clinical sample with emotional disorders. Patients (n = 583) with anxiety (n = 250) and depression (n = 333) with a mean age of 37.21 (SD = 12.22), underwent a diagnostic interview and questionnaires assessing anxiety, depression, positive and negative affect, and quality of life. Factorial structure, internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity, cutoff scores, and sensitivity to change were analyzed. Confirmatory Factor Analysis yielded a unidimensional factor structure, consistent with previous validations of the instrument. The analyses showed good internal consistency and adequate convergent and discriminant validity, as well as sensitivity to change. A cutoff score of 7.5 was found to meet the criteria used in this study to select the optimal cutoff point. Overall, in this study, the psychometric properties of the online version of the OASIS were found to be appropriate. The brevity and ease of use of the OASIS support its adequacy as a valid measure of anxiety severity and impairment in Spanish clinical samples with anxiety and depression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Anxiety Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Depressive Disorder / diagnosis*
  • Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted*
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Internet*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales*
  • Psychometrics
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Severity of Illness Index*
  • Spain
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Spain) under grant PSI2014-54172-R, and Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte (Spain) under grant FPU13/00576 (Ayudas para la formación de profesorado universitario); https://www.mecd.gob.es/mecd/servicios-al-ciudadano-mecd/catalogo/general/educacion/998758/ficha/998758-2013). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.