Coronavirus Anxiety Scale: A brief mental health screener for COVID-19 related anxiety

TLDR

Mental health concerns during the coronavirus pandemic have been inadequately addressed. The study aimed to develop and evaluate the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, a brief screener for dysfunctional anxiety related to COVID‑19. The 5‑item scale, derived from 775 adults with coronavirus‑related anxiety, showed solid reliability and validity. Elevated CAS scores were linked to diagnosis, impairment, substance coping, hopelessness, suicidal ideation, and political attitudes, and the scale discriminated well (≥9 cut‑off, 90% sensitivity, 85% specificity), supporting its use as an efficient, valid tool.

Abstract

Mental health concerns of people impacted by the coronavirus pandemic have not been adequately addressed. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate the properties of the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), which is a brief mental health screener to identify probable cases of dysfunctional anxiety associated with the COVID-19 crisis. This 5-item scale, which was based on 775 adults with anxiety over the coronavirus, demonstrated solid reliability and validity. Elevated CAS scores were found to be associated with coronavirus diagnosis, impairment, alcohol/drug coping, negative religious coping, extreme hopelessness, suicidal ideation, as well as attitudes toward President Trump and Chinese products. The CAS discriminates well between persons with and without dysfunctional anxiety using an optimized cut score of ≥ 9 (90% sensitivity and 85% specificity). These results support the CAS as an efficient and valid tool for clinical research and practice.