state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI)

Introduction

A brief self-report inventory that differentiates between state anxiety, which may be experienced in certain situations, & trait anxiety, which is the chronic form of anxiety.

The STAI consists of 20 items that are short descriptive statements. The subject responds to the items on a 4-point scale:

• how he/she feels at the moment (state anxiety)
• how he/she generally feels (trait anxiety)

Advantages

• may be useful for elderly subjects

Disadvantages

• not as much comparative data as other measures of anxiety

More general terms

• anxiety assessment