Psychometric properties of a new short version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) for the assessment of anxiety in the elderly

Verification of Psychophysiological Effects of Satoyama Activities on Older Adult Volunteers and Young People in Post-COVID-19 Society: A Case Study of Matsudo City, Japan

Many scholars have focused on Satoyama, which is characterized by mountains or villages away from the urban spaces. Our objective is to verify its psychophysiological effects on people performing usual Satoyama activities in ignored, small urban green spaces to help people find ways to stay healthy in post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) society. In this study, 12 older adult volunteers from the "Forest around the Mountains" Nonprofit Organization and 12 young people from the university were invited as study subjects. They were asked to observe nature for 10 min and work for 30 min in the small green space "Forest around the Mountains". The Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition (POMS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventor (STAI) were used as psychological scales to detect their psychological restoration and blood pressure before and after the Satoyama activity. Their heart rate during the activity was used as the physiological indicator. The study showed that, as Satoyama volunteers, the older adults group had significant restorative psychophysiological effects during this experiment compared to the younger group; their systolic and diastolic blood pressure dropped significantly after Satoyama activities, On the other hand, the young group have been in the normotensive range before or after Satoyama activities The psychological indicators such as Anger-hostility, Confusion-bewilderment, and Tension-anxiety were significantly lower in the younger group but were still significantly higher than the indicators of the older adults. In general, this study found that Satoyama activities benefited young and older participants, especially older adults with high blood pressure. Satoyama activities in small urban green spaces are thus necessary and worth promoting in the post-COVID-19 era.

Development of the short version of the spielberger state-trait anxiety inventory

The Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) has been widely used to measure the state and trait components of anxiety. We sought to develop a short, yet reliable and valid form of these scales for use in circumstances where the full-form is not feasible. We abbreviated the scales using item response theory analyses to retain the items that could discriminate the best among participants. One sample (N = 922) completed the state scale, a second sample (N = 2227) completed the trait scale, while a third sample (N = 250) completed the short forms. Our participants completed the Hungarian version of STAI alongside other measures to observe external validity. We calculated cut-off scores for the state (>9.5,) and trait (>13.5) scales. A total of 19.5% and 20.1% of the respondents reached the cut-off scores. The five-item short forms of STAI had sound psychometric properties that are comparable to those obtained on the full-form. The external validity of the scales is also demonstrated. We report detailed descriptive statistics that could be used in further studies as standards. The short scales are reliable measures that could be used in clinical screening and behavioural research; especially where practical considerations preclude the use of a longer questionnaire.