Validation of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) among Chinese people with epilepsy

Abstract

Objective: To validate the Chinese version of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) in Chinese people with epilepsy (PWE).

Methods: A consecutive cohort of PWE from the West China Hospital was recruited. Each patient received a psychiatric evaluation comprising the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and the GAD-7. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected. Cronbach's α coefficient was calculated and receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis was conducted.

Results: A total of 213 PWE completed the psychiatric evaluation. The GAD-7 was easily understood and quickly completed by all participants. Fifty patients (23.5%) had GAD according to the MINI criteria. Cronbach's α coefficient for the GAD-7 was 0.888. ROC analysis showed an area under the curve of 0.974 (95% CI=0.956-0.993). At a cut-off score of >6, the GAD-7 achieved the largest Youden index of 0.854 with a sensitivity of 94%, a specificity of 91.4%, a positive predictive value of 77% and a negative predictive value of 98%.

Significance: The Chinese version of the GAD-7 is a valuable tool for screening for GAD in Chinese PWE.

Keywords: Anxiety; China; Epilepsy; GAD-7; Screening; Validation.