Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Arabic Version of the Rating Anxiety in Dementia Scale.

Objectives

This study aims to cross-culturally adapt the Rating Anxiety in Dementia (RAID) scale into Arabic language, evaluate its psychometric properties in a sample of Lebanese patients with dementia and determine the optimal cutoff for the identification of anxiety.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample of 136 patients with dementia aged 55 years and above. RAID-A was administered to a formal caregiver of the patient as well as a battery of psychological tools namely Hamilton anxiety scale (HAM-A) and Neuropsychiatric Inventory anxiety subscale (NPI-A). The Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) was used to establish a clinical diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

Results

RAID-A scale demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's a = 0.82) and test-retest reliability (Intraclass coefficient = 0.99). Significant correlations were found between RAID-A total score and both NPI-A (r = 0.43) and HAM-A (r = 0.88) suggesting good concurrent validity. Results from the receiver operating curve analysis identified a score of 11 as the optimal cutoff for the diagnosis of GAD with a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 82%.

Conclusions

The Arabic version of the RAID scale exhibits good psychometric properties.Clinical Implications: RAID is a valid tool to measure anxiety in Arabic elder patients suffering from dementia.