Validation of a Brief Measure of Anxiety-related Severity and Impairment: the Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale (OASIS)

Overview

Journal J Affect Disord

Date 2008 May 20

PMID 18486238

Citations 176

Authors

Laura Campbell-Sills

Sonya B Norman

Michelle G Craske

Greer Sullivan

Ariel J Lang

Denise A Chavira

Alexander Bystritsky

Cathy Sherbourne

Peter Roy-Byrne

Murray B Stein

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale (OASIS) is a 5-item self-report measure that can be used to assess severity and impairment associated with any anxiety disorder or multiple anxiety disorders. A prior investigation with a nonclinical sample supported the reliability and validity of the OASIS; however, to date it has not been validated for use in clinical samples.

Methods: The present study assessed the psychometric properties of the OASIS in a large sample (N=1036) of primary care patients whose physicians referred them to an anxiety disorders treatment study. Latent structure, internal consistency, convergent/discriminant validity, and cut-score analyses were conducted.

Results: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a unidimensional structure. The five OASIS items displayed strong loadings on the single factor and had a high degree of internal consistency. OASIS scores demonstrated robust correlations with global and disorder-specific measures of anxiety, and weak correlations with measures of unrelated constructs. A cut-score of 8 correctly classified 87% of this sample as having an anxiety diagnosis or not.

Limitations: Convergent validity measures consisted solely of other self-report measures of anxiety. Future studies should evaluate the convergence of OASIS scores with clinician-rated and behavioral measures of anxiety severity.

Conclusions: Overall, this investigation suggests that the OASIS is a valid instrument for measurement of anxiety severity and impairment in clinical samples. Its brevity and applicability to a wide range of anxiety disorders enhance its utility as a screening and assessment tool.

Citing Articles

Patient-reported outcome measures for paediatric gender-affirming care: A systematic review.

Jackman L, Chan C, Jacklin C, Deck E, Lee A, Stepney M Paediatr Child Health. 2025; 29(8):514-527.

PMID: 39990034 PMC: 11840252. DOI: 10.1093/pch/pxae019.

Medication use is associated with distinct microbial features in anxiety and depression.

Dilmore A, Kuplicki R, McDonald D, Kumar M, Estaki M, Youngblut N Mol Psychiatry. 2025; .

PMID: 39794490 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02857-2.

Smoking as a Marker of Comorbid Vulnerability Among Persons with Probable Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Who Engage in Hazardous Drinking.

Zvolensky M, Smit T, Salwa A, Clausen B, Robison J, Raines A Subst Use Misuse. 2025; 60(5):692-703.

PMID: 39791598 PMC: 11870801. DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2024.2447418.

Differences in anxiety, depression and pain experience among adults with chronic low back pain as a function of nicotine product use.

Zvolensky M, Smit T, Rogers A, Bakhshaie J, Ditre J, Rinker D J Behav Med. 2025; .

PMID: 39789403 DOI: 10.1007/s10865-024-00547-6.

Patient-reported outcomes, provider-reported outcomes, and physiologic parameters after gender-affirming hormone treatment in Canada: a systematic review.

Jackman L, Chan C, Garvilles M, Kamran R Hormones (Athens). 2025; .

PMID: 39777707 DOI: 10.1007/s42000-024-00626-y.

References

Connor K, Davidson J, Churchill L, Sherwood A, Foa E, Weisler R . Psychometric properties of the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN). New self-rating scale. Br J Psychiatry. 2000; 176:379-86. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.176.4.379. View

Ware Jr J, Kosinski M, Keller S . A 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey: construction of scales and preliminary tests of reliability and validity. Med Care. 1996; 34(3):220-33. DOI: 10.1097/00005650-199603000-00003. View

Sheehan D, Lecrubier Y, Sheehan K, Amorim P, Janavs J, Weiller E . The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.): the development and validation of a structured diagnostic psychiatric interview for DSM-IV and ICD-10. J Clin Psychiatry. 1999; 59 Suppl 20:22-33;quiz 34-57. View

Sullivan G, Craske M, Sherbourne C, Edlund M, Rose R, Golinelli D . Design of the Coordinated Anxiety Learning and Management (CALM) study: innovations in collaborative care for anxiety disorders. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2007; 29(5):379-87. PMC: 2095116. DOI: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2007.04.005. View

Brown T, Campbell L, Lehman C, Grisham J, Mancill R . Current and lifetime comorbidity of the DSM-IV anxiety and mood disorders in a large clinical sample. J Abnorm Psychol. 2001; 110(4):585-99. DOI: 10.1037//0021-843x.110.4.585. View

Houck P, Spiegel D, Shear M, Rucci P . Reliability of the self-report version of the panic disorder severity scale. Depress Anxiety. 2002; 15(4):183-5. DOI: 10.1002/da.10049. View

Rabin R, de Charro F . EQ-5D: a measure of health status from the EuroQol Group. Ann Med. 2001; 33(5):337-43. DOI: 10.3109/07853890109002087. View

Bohn M, Babor T, Kranzler H . The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT): validation of a screening instrument for use in medical settings. J Stud Alcohol. 1995; 56(4):423-32. DOI: 10.15288/jsa.1995.56.423. View

Telch M, Schmidt N, Jaimez T, Jacquin K, Harrington P . Impact of cognitive-behavioral treatment on quality of life in panic disorder patients. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1995; 63(5):823-30. DOI: 10.1037//0022-006x.63.5.823. View

10.

Sherbourne C, Stewart A . The MOS social support survey. Soc Sci Med. 1991; 32(6):705-14. DOI: 10.1016/0277-9536(91)90150-b. View

11.

Sheehan D, Raj B . The measurement of disability. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 1996; 11 Suppl 3:89-95. DOI: 10.1097/00004850-199606003-00015. View

12.

Carter R, Wittchen H, Pfister H, Kessler R . One-year prevalence of subthreshold and threshold DSM-IV generalized anxiety disorder in a nationally representative sample. Depress Anxiety. 2001; 13(2):78-88. DOI: 10.1002/da.1020. View

13.

Norman S, Hami Cissell S, Means-Christensen A, Stein M . Development and validation of an Overall Anxiety Severity And Impairment Scale (OASIS). Depress Anxiety. 2006; 23(4):245-9. DOI: 10.1002/da.20182. View

14.

Bieling P, Antony M, Swinson R . The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Trait version: structure and content re-examined. Behav Res Ther. 1998; 36(7-8):777-88. DOI: 10.1016/s0005-7967(98)00023-0. View

15.

Stein M, Roy-Byrne P, Craske M, Bystritsky A, Sullivan G, Pyne J . Functional impact and health utility of anxiety disorders in primary care outpatients. Med Care. 2005; 43(12):1164-70. DOI: 10.1097/01.mlr.0000185750.18119.fd. View

16.

Shear K, Belnap B, Mazumdar S, Houck P, Rollman B . Generalized anxiety disorder severity scale (GADSS): a preliminary validation study. Depress Anxiety. 2006; 23(2):77-82. DOI: 10.1002/da.20149. View

17.

Ruscio A, Brown T, Chiu W, Sareen J, Stein M, Kessler R . Social fears and social phobia in the USA: results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Psychol Med. 2007; 38(1):15-28. PMC: 2262178. DOI: 10.1017/S0033291707001699. View

18.

Sareen J, Jacobi F, Cox B, Belik S, Clara I, Stein M . Disability and poor quality of life associated with comorbid anxiety disorders and physical conditions. Arch Intern Med. 2006; 166(19):2109-16. DOI: 10.1001/archinte.166.19.2109. View

19.

Kroenke K, Spitzer R, Williams J, Monahan P, Lowe B . Anxiety disorders in primary care: prevalence, impairment, comorbidity, and detection. Ann Intern Med. 2007; 146(5):317-25. DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-146-5-200703060-00004. View

20.

Kessler R, Chiu W, Jin R, Ruscio A, Shear K, Walters E . The epidemiology of panic attacks, panic disorder, and agoraphobia in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2006; 63(4):415-24. PMC: 1958997. DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.63.4.415. View