A Test of the Tripartite Model of Depression and Anxiety in Older Adult Psychiatric Outpatients

Author(s)

Joan M. Cook, University of Pennsylvania
Helen Orvaschel, Nova Southeastern University
Edward Simco, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
Michel Hersen, Pacific Graduate School
Thomas Joiner, Florida State University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-2004

Publication Title

Psychology and Aging

Volume

19

Issue/Number

3

First Page

444

ISSN

0882-7974

Last Page

451

Abstract/Excerpt

This study examined the tripartite model of depression and anxiety in 131 psychiatric outpatients, ages 55-87. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that a 3-factor model provided an adequate fit to the observed data, that the 3-factor model was empirically superior to 1- or 2-factor models, and that the 3-factor structure obtained in the current sample of older adult outpatients converged with that obtained on a separate, younger 'sample. Negative affect was significantly related to depression and anxiety symptoms and syndromes, and positive affect was more highly related to depression than anxiety symptoms and syndromes. Ways for taking into account possible age-associated differences in emotion in older adults and thus improving the conceptual model of anxiety and depression are briefly noted.

DOI

10.1037/0882-7974.19.3.444

NSUWorks Citation

Cook, J. M., Orvaschel, H., Simco, E., Hersen, M., Joiner, T. (2004). A Test of the Tripartite Model of Depression and Anxiety in Older Adult Psychiatric Outpatients. Psychology and Aging, 19(3), 444-451.
Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cps_facarticles/532