Evidence that the brief symptom inventory can be used to measure anxiety quickly and reliably in patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction

Abstract

Anxiety is not routinely assessed iin patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Failure to identify and treat patients who are anxious after AMI makes them more vulnerable to the adverse effects of anxiety, including higher complication rates. The anxiety subscale of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) is a simple, reliable measure of anxiety with minimal patient burden. However, there is limited evidence of reliability and validity of the BSI as a measure of anxiety in patients hospitalized for AMI.