Coronavirus anxiety scale (CAS)
Ask the patient to choose an answer that best describes how they have felt and conducted themselves over the past 2 weeks:
Not at all
Rare, less than a day or two
Several days
More than 7 days
Nearly every day over the last 2 weeks
Not at all
Rare, less than a day or two
Several days
More than 7 days
Nearly every day over the last 2 weeks
Not at all
Rare, less than a day or two
Several days
More than 7 days
Nearly every day over the last 2 weeks
Not at all
Rare, less than a day or two
Several days
More than 7 days
Nearly every day over the last 2 weeks
Not at all
Rare, less than a day or two
Several days
More than 7 days
Nearly every day over the last 2 weeks
| Total patient’s points | Values | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Variable | Points | |
| I felt dizzy, lightheaded, or faint when I read or listened to news about the coronavirus | Not at all | 0 |
| Rare, less than a day or two | 1 | |
| Several days | 2 | |
| More than 7 days | 3 | |
| Nearly every day over the last 2 weeks | 4 | |
| I had trouble falling or staying asleep because I was thinking about the coronavirus | Not at all | 0 |
| Rare, less than a day or two | 1 | |
| Several days | 2 | |
| More than 7 days | 3 | |
| Nearly every day over the last 2 weeks | 4 | |
| I felt paralyzed or frozen when I thought about or was exposed to information about the coronavirus | Not at all | 0 |
| Rare, less than a day or two | 1 | |
| Several days | 2 | |
| More than 7 days | 3 | |
| Nearly every day over the last 2 weeks | 4 | |
| I lost interest in eating when I thought about or was exposed to information about the coronavirus | Not at all | 0 |
| Rare, less than a day or two | 1 | |
| Several days | 2 | |
| More than 7 days | 3 | |
| Nearly every day over the last 2 weeks | 4 | |
| I felt nauseous or had stomach problems when I thought about or was exposed to information about the coronavirus | Not at all | 0 |
| Rare, less than a day or two | 1 | |
| Several days | 2 | |
| More than 7 days | 3 | |
| Nearly every day over the last 2 weeks | 4 |
Result
| Total points | Values | Result |
| < 9 | NEGATIVE There is no COVID-19 pandemic alarm. | |
| ≥ 9 | POSITIVE. Patient with dysfunctional anxiety (Youden score 75) associated with worsening condition amid the COVID-19 pandemic |
Patients with score ≥9 are classified as having dysfunctional anxiety (Youden’s index of 75) associated with the COVID-19 crisis (90% sensitivity and 85% specificity).
Elevated CAS scores were found to be associated with coronavirus diagnosis, impairment, alcohol/drug coping, negative religious coping, extreme hopelessness, suicidal ideation.
Literature:
Lee SA. Coronavirus Anxiety Scale: A brief mental health screener for COVID-19 related anxiety. Death Stud. 2020;44(7):393-401. doi: 10.1080/07481187.2020.1748481. Epub 2020 Apr 16. PMID: 32299304.
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