Validation of the Arabic Version of the Brief Symptom Inventory to Measure Anxiety in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

Background and PurposeAnxiety after acute myocardial infarction is well-known phenomenon. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Brief Symptom Inventory to measure anxiety in this population.MethodsThis was a prospective observational study among 460 patients. Patients answered the Brief Symptom Inventory and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to measure anxiety. Complications and other clinical variables abstracted from medical records.ResultsCronbach's α was .86, indicating adequate internal consistency. The item-total correlations and all interitem correlations were all acceptable. Anxiety was independent predictor for complication after acute myocardial infarction and higher in females supporting the construct validity.ConclusionArabic version of the Brief Symptom Inventory is a valid and reliable instrument to measure anxiety after acute myocardial infarction.