Psychometric Properties of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form Y) among Malaysian University Students

Abstract

Health Ministry statistics showed mental health problems among Malaysian students increased from one in ten individuals in year 2011 to one in five in 2016. Anxiety and depression were cited as the main causes of mental health problems among students in Malaysia. However, an anxiety measure that has been validated for use with Malaysian students is still lacking. Thus, the main objective of the current study is to examine the psychometric proprieties of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form Y) (STAI), and to assess the suitability of the factorial model in the context of Malaysia. The STAI contains separate scales for measuring state and trait anxiety. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted to test and to compare the two-factor model (State Anxiety and Trait Anxiety) and the four-factor model (State Anxiety Present, State Anxiety Absent, Trait Anxiety Present, and Trait Anxiety Absent) of STAI. In addition, the reliability and validity of the model were also tested. The sample consisted of 341 university students from one of the universities in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The results supported a better fit to the data for the four-factor model of STAI. To improve composite reliability and the average variance extracted (AVE) of the constructs, one item was removed from each of the State Anxiety Present factor, Trait Anxiety present factor, and Trait Anxiety Absent factor. Convergent validity for the four-factor model was also improved by the removal of the three items. The findings also suggested that the STAI may have some discriminant validity issues. In the framework of psychology of sustainability and sustainable development, research and intervention regarding this topic should also be enhanced from a primary prevention perspective to improve the quality of life of every human being, fostering wellbeing at all different levels, from individuals to organizations.

Prevalence of Generalised Anxiety Disorders Among Clinical Training Students at the University of Sharjah

“…The validity of the STAI rests on the assumption that the respondent has a clear understanding of the instructions for the "State" and "Trait" subscales. 6,23 Each question is rated on a 4-point scale (not at all, somewhat, moderately so, very much so), giving a range of possible scores of 20-80 for each subscale. STAI subscale scores are commonly classified as "no or low anxiety" (20-37), "moderate anxiety" (38-44), and "high anxiety"(45-80).…”

“…20 The STAI has been validated in various countries with clinical and non-clinical samples. 6,21,22 It uses a relatively brief selfreport scale to assess both state and trait anxiety and is suitable to be administered in both clinical practice and research. The STAI has been translated into the Greek, Dutch, Japanese, Chinese, and Malaysian languages, with these versions consistently reported to have acceptable reliability.…”

“…In Malaysia, the prevalence of anxiety symptoms among medical students in a local university were lower than the international studies done, reflecting perhaps increased resilience in this population. 6 Stress is a particularly important issue in education because it has the potential to impede learning and performance. 7 Some studies also support that nursing students suffer from stress in their clinical practice 8,9 The US National Institute of Mental Health indicates anxiety disorder symptoms can be classified by feelings of restlessness, fatigue, and difficulty maintaining focus.…”

Immediate Effect of a Yoga Breathing Practice on Attention and Anxiety in Pre-Teen Children

“…The STAI-S is a standardized 20 item inventory, which assesses the anxiety, i.e., the anxiety at the moment of testing [17]. The 20 items are sentences which describe the feelings of a person which can be assessed on a 4-point (i.e., not at all, somewhat, moderately so, and very much so) Likert scale.…”

“…The participants had to choose one out of the 4 options provided for each item. This scale was not culture sensitive and had been standardized for use in an Asian population (of which 6.5% was an Indian population) with test-retest reliability (r = 0.60–0.94) and Cronbach’s alpha score of 0.86 [17].…”