Psychometric Properties of the Beck Anxiety Inventory in the Community-dwelling Sample of Korean Adults

The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) has been used in many countries since its psychological properties have been verified. However, as there is significant heterogeneity in affective experiences among cultures, a population-specific validation study is necessary. This study examined the psychometric properties of the BAI in a non-clinical Korean population. The BAI, Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 were used to assess the concurrent and discriminant validity. The factorial structures suggested by previous research were examined using the mean- and varianceadjusted weighted least squares estimation. The internal consistency and the item-total correlations were favorable. The testretest reliability was slightly higher in this present study compared with that in previously reported studies. There was a moderate correlation between the BAI and the STAI. Among the five different factor structures, the four-factor model provided the best overall fit. Overall, the current results support the use of the BAI to assess the anxiety severity in community-dwelling populations of Korean adults.