The Penn State Worry Questionnaire and the Worry Domains Questionnaire: structure, reliability and validity

Abstract

In this study the psychometric properties of the PSWQ and the WDQ were investigated in a community sample. The PSWQ proved to be unidimensional although the results indicated that the negatively keyed items contributed less to the general factor. Internal reliability of the PSWQ was satisfactory. Confirmatory analysis of the WDQ indicated that some alternations with regard to the content of the different domains had to be made. Furthermore, an additional health worry domain was included in the scale. This resulted in a revised revision of the WDQ. Internal reliability of the WDQ-R was satisfactory, as well as consistencies of the different domains, with the exception of the Work Incompetence domain. High to moderate correlations were found between the two worry scales and measures of trait anxiety, depression and obsessive compulsive behaviour. In studying the relative impact of these constructs on worry it was found that the predictors accounted for 62 and 61% of the variance in the PSWQ and the WDQ-R respectively, providing further evidence for the separate construct of worry.

Psychometric Properties and Latent Structure of the Portuguese Version of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire

“…This is an important question since there are inconsistencies in the literature regarding the prevalence of higher PSWQ scores among women as compared to men. Although some reports did not detect any gender differences in the PSWQ (Katz & Jardine, 1999;van Rijsoort et al, 1999), results from both of our studies indicated that women presented higher PSWQ scores than men. These results are consistent with other studies which found the same gender differences (Gana et al, 2002;Meyer et al, 1990;Olatunji et al, 2007;Pallesen et al, 2006).…”

Normative Values and Psychometric Properties of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire in Substance Use Disorder Treatment Population

“…In contrast to previous research finding that mean scores on the PSWQ in a normative population of range between 35 and 50 (Brenes et al, 2022;Fortune et al, 2005;Meyer et al, 1990;Oliveira et al, 2023;Pallesen et al, 2006;Rodrı´guez-Biglieri & Vetere, 2011;van Rijsoort et al, 1999), the population entering SUD treatment (i.e., at intake) had a higher mean PSWQ score of 54.85 (SD = 13.84). One possible interpretation of this finding is that individuals entering SUD treatment represent a distinct population, who on average have elevated levels of worry.…”

“…Similarly, the study demonstrates the PSWQ is stable during treatment, as evidenced by the correlation coefficients over different weeks, aligning with the high values reported in earlier research (Meyer et al, 1990;Molina & Borkovec, 1994;Pallesen et al, 2006;Sto¨ber & Bittencourt, 1998). The exploration of discriminant validity further concurs with previous studies, revealing correlations with the CES-D and PSS-10, which corroborates previous findings that the PSWQ discriminates between GAD and Major Depressive Disorder when compared to measures like the Beck Depression Inventory and the Padua Inventory Revised (Davey, 1993;Meyer et al, 1990;Pallesen et al, 2006;van Rijsoort et al, 1999). Similarly, the factor structure in the population beginning SUD treatment was comparable to that of other populations, whereby a single factor model when the residuals of the negatively worded items were correlated, had satisfactory fit, as did the two-factor model.…”

“…However, by the end of the second week of treatment all primary substance groups experienced worry levels below the 50 cutoff (except the primary benzodiazepine group which had a mean of 51. 1993; Meyer et al, 1990;Pallesen et al, 2006;van Rijsoort et al, 1999). Similarly, the study demonstrates the PSWQ is stable during treatment, as evidenced by the correlation coefficients over different weeks, aligning with the high values reported in earlier research (Meyer et al, 1990;Molina & Borkovec, 1994;Pallesen et al, 2006;Sto¨ber & Bittencourt, 1998).…”

Psychometric characteristics of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire and Metacognitions Questionnaire‐30 and metacognitive predictors of worry and obsessive–compulsive symptoms in a Turkish sample

“…While the 'presence of worry' factor was composed of 11 positively worded items, the 'absence of worry' factor was composed of the remaining fi ve items written in the negative direction. Although this fi nding was in accordance with many studies (Beck et al, 1995;Carter et al, 2005;Fresco et al, 2002;Meloni & Gana, 2001;Stöber, 1995;van Rijsoort et al, 1999), there are other studies supporting a unidimensional, general factor solution for the PSWQ (Brown, 2003;Brown et al, 1992;Ladouceur et al, 1992;Meyer et al, 1990). To clarify the individual contributions of these factors to pathological worry, two complementary factor analyses were performed.…”