ESHA SHAFAQ

221520085

BS. Clinical Psychology

4th Semester

Psychological Lab Testing/Assessment (B)

MAM. MARYAM NASIR

 Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)

Introduction

A self-report questionnaire called the Beck Anxiety Inventory (Beck et al., 1988) is used

to gauge how severe anxiety is in psychiatric populations. The Anxiety Checklist, the Physician's

Desk Reference Checklist, and the Situational Anxiety Checklist were the three preexisting

scales from which the initial item pool of 86 items was developed. The item pool was narrowed

down using a number of analyses. The final scale has 21 items, each of which describes a typical

anxiety symptom. The resulting Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) is a 21-item scale that showed

high internal consistency (α = .92) and test—retest reliability over 1 week, r (81) = .75. On a 4-

point rating scale, the respondent is asked to indicate the degree to which each symptom has

bothered him or her in the previous week. Diagnostic categories for anxiety (panic disorder,

generalized anxiety disorder, etc.) from diagnostic categories that don't cause anxiety (major

depression, dysthymic disorder, etc). Furthermore, there was only a slight correlation (r(153)

=.25) between the BAI and the revised Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and a moderate

correlation (r(150) =.51) between the BAI and the revised Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale.

Purpose and Uses

It was designed specifically to differentiate between anxiety and depression, although it

should not be used alone for diagnostic purposes.One of the most widely used screening and

outcome study tools to measure the anxiety domain is the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI; Beck &

Steer, 1993). Although it has been utilized in research investigations with both clinical and

nonclinical samples, it is most suitable for usage with psychiatric outpatients who are 17 years of

age and older.

 The BAI is said to be the 10th most often used tool among counselors (C. H. Peterson,

Lomas, Neukrug, & Bonner, 2014). In the same way, the BAI was listed as the ninth instrument

that counsellor educators most frequently taught by Neukrug, Peterson, Bonner, and Lomas

(2013).

Targeted Population

The Beck Anxiety Inventory is a 21-item multiple-choice self-report questionnaire used

to measure how severe anxiety is in adults and teenagers, because the emotional, physical, and

cognitive signs of anxiety are described by the items of the Beck Anxiety Inventory. The

measure's age range is 17 to 80, however it has been applied to younger adolescents, 12 years of

age and older, in peer-reviewed research.

Items

 Numbness or tingling

 Feeling hot

 Wobbliness in legs

 Unable to relax

 Fear of the worst happening

 Dizzy or lightheaded.

 Heart pounding or racing.

 Unsteady.

 Terrified.

 Nervous.

 Feelings of choking.
  Hands trembling.

 Shaky.

 Fear of losing control.

 Difficulty breathing.

 Fear of dying.

 Scared.

 Indigestion or discomfort in abdomen.

 Faint.

 Face flushed.

 Sweating.

Procedure

Apart from the practical implications of implementing the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI),

ethical considerations were also considered critical to ensuring the welfare and rights of the

participants. First and foremost, participants were given clear information about the goal of the

BAI, the procedures involved, and any potential risks or advantages. This allowed for questions

to be answered and understanding to be reached before consent being obtained. Following ethical

standards and legal requirements for data protection and privacy, confidentiality and privacy

were protected throughout the assessment process. Responses were kept private and only

available to authorized professionals involved in the evaluation and treatment process. In order to

guarantee the validity and equity of the evaluation across a range of communities, cultural

sensitivity was essential, with administrators being aware of how various backgrounds

communicate and interpret anxiety symptoms, adjusting the administration procedure

appropriately, speaking in a way that is acceptable for the target culture, taking into account

social and cultural conventions, and avoiding prejudice or stereotyping.

Interpretation

Quantitative interpretation

Table 1

Sr.no. Items Scores

1 Numbness or tingling 0

2 Feeling hot 2

3 Wobbliness in legs 2

4 Unable to relax 1

5 Fear of the worst happening 3

6 Dizzy or lightheaded. 1

7 Heart pounding or racing. 2

8 Unsteady. 1

9 Terrified. 3

10 Nervous. 1

11 Feelings of choking. 2

12 Hands trembling. 0

13 Shaky. 0

14 Fear of losing control. 1

15 Difficulty breathing. 2

16 Fear of dying. 3
 17 Scared. 3

18 Indigestion 3

19 Faint. 2

20 Face flushed. 0

21 Sweating. 0

Total Scores 32

Table 2

Age Score Ranges Results

0-7 (minimal anxiety)

8-15 (mild anxiety)

16-25(moderate anxiety)

21 32 26-63 (severe anxiety) Severe anxiety

Qualitative Interpretation

The individual's total score of 32 on the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) suggests a notable

degree of anxiety symptoms. Their reactions, which range in severity from mild to severe,

demonstrate the complex nature of their anxious experience. The signs of indigestion, worry, and

anxiety over worst-case scenarios, together with worries about losing control or facing death, are

very alarming. On the other hand, several symptoms, such as tingling or numbness, hand
 trembling, and flushing of the face, were significantly absent from their experience. This

variation emphasizes the variety of ways anxiety disorders can present and emphasizes the value

of adapted testing and treatment plans. Given the high number of symptoms mentioned, it could

be wise for the person to get additional testing and think about took part in interventions targeted

at reducing their anxiety symptoms and raising broad psychological well-being.

References

Beck, A. T., Epstein, N., Brown, G., & Steer, R. (1988). Beck Anxiety Inventory. PsycTESTS

Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1037/t02025-000

Bardhoshi, G., Duncan, K., & Erford, B. T. (2016). Psychometric Meta-Analysis of the English Version

of the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Journal of Counseling & Development, 94(3), 356–373.

https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12090

McKee, M. L., Mortimer, J. E., Maricle, D. E., Neuhaus, D., Konstam, E., Senland, A., Reed, D. D.,

Luiselli, J. K., Young, J. L., Pajares, F., Benmeleh, E., McKinlay, A., Davenport, T. L., Hilton-

Mounger, A., Dvorak, S., Howe, T. R., Levin, E., Michalec, D., Grant, M. M., & Visser, P.

(2011). Beck Anxiety Inventory. In Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development (pp. 215–

217). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_3159