Geriatric Anxiety Scale – GAS
A 30-item self-report measure designed to assess anxiety symptoms in older adults.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Geriatric Anxiety Scale – GAS was developed by Segal, D. L., June, A., Payne, M., Coolidge, F. L., & Yochim, B. (2010). It is designed to measure Anxiety. The scale is intended for use with Older adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 30 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Somatic, Cognitive, Affective, Content.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Somatic | 1,2,3,8,9,17,21,22,23 | 9 |
| Cognitive | 4,5,12,16,18,19,24,25 | 8 |
| Affective | 6,7,10,11,13,14,15,20 | 8 |
| Content | 26,27,28,29,30 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Not at all, 1 = Sometimes, 2 = Most of the time, 3 = All of the time.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 75. Interpretation guidelines:
- Minimal Anxiety: 0 – 11
- Mild Anxiety: 12 – 15
- Moderate Anxiety: 16 – 25
- Severe Anxiety: 26 – 75
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha of .93 for the total scale.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.