Relationships Between Diverse Forms of Anxiety With Intrapersonal Functioning Among Older Adults

Abstract

This study assessed how clinical anxiety, anxiety about aging, and death anxiety related to one another and to intrapersonal functioning. Older adults completed the Geriatric Anxiety Scale, Anxiety About Aging Scale, Death Anxiety Scale-Extended, and Intrapersonal Problems Rating Scale. Clinical anxiety was strongly correlated with anxiety about aging ( r = .50) and death anxiety ( r = .59), and anxiety about aging and death anxiety were strongly positively correlated with each other ( r = .51). Intrapersonal problems were significantly and strongly positively correlated with clinical anxiety ( r = .79), anxiety about aging ( r = .50), and death anxiety ( r = .56). Multiple regression results showed that the three types of anxiety accounted for a large amount of variance in intrapersonal problems. Findings suggest strong comorbidities between diverse forms of anxiety with some unique features. Intrapersonal deficits may be prominent in the presence of diverse forms of anxiety. Screening should consider these relationships.