Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33091745›Full record

SynthesisClinical psychology review2020

Specificity of trait anxiety in anxiety and depression: Meta-analysis of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.

Kelly A Knowles, Bunmi O Olatunji

5 registry-linked trialsAbstract readMeta-AnalysisReview
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Clinical psychology review, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 5 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 177 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
177citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04531618 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2024, after this paper: background citation

Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) of Two Programs Supporting Early Infant Development Beginning in the Well Baby Nursery Through 4 Months of Age

TypeinterventionalSponsorColumbia UniversityRan2024 to 2025Enrolled132ConditionsChild Development, Mother-Infant Interaction, Relation, Parent-ChildArmsEmotional Exchange (EE), Newborn Care (NC)
NCT06013930 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2023, after this paper: background citation

Exploring the Efficacy of Alternative Treatments for Depression and Anxiety Among College Students: A Randomized Control Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of South DakotaRan2023 to 2025Enrolled55ConditionsAnxiety, DepressionArmsExternal Qigong, Mindfulness Meditation, Psychoeducation
NCT06789731 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Mindfulness-Based Interventions Targeting First-Generation College Student Retention in Rural Environments

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of South DakotaRan2025 to 2027Enrolled53ConditionsDepression, AnxietyArmsMindfulness Meditation, Psychoeducation
NCT06900959 nanot yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Transcranial Static Field Stimulation (tSMS) and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for the Treatment of Neurological Symptoms

TypeinterventionalSponsorNeuromed IRCCSRan2025 to 2026Enrolled40ConditionsNeurological Diseases or ConditionsArmstranscranial static field stimulation (tSMS) and transcranial (tDCS)
NCT07005973 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Effects of Mobile-based Mindfulness Intervention to Reduce Preoperative Anxiety for Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorHospital Authority, Hong KongRan2025 to 2026Enrolled40ConditionsMobile-based Mindfulness Intervention to Reduce Preoperative Anxiety, Pre-operative Anxiety, Postoperative Pain, Postoperative Use of AnalgesicsArmsmobile-based mindfulness intervention
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

177 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  16. Negative affect interacts with perceptual affective biases.Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) · 2026
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117 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Kelly A KnowlesVanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA. Electronic address: kelly.a.knowles@vanderbilt.edu.
Bunmi O OlatunjiVanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.

Funding

LIFE-SPAN DEVELOPMENT OF NORMAL AND ABNORMAL BEHAVIORT32MH018921 · NIMH · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY · PI HUMPHREYS, KATHRYN LEIGH · 1989 to 2024
$6.7M
NIMH NIH HHS T32 MH018921
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - Trait version (STAI-T) was developed to measure an individual's tendency to experience anxiety, but it may lack discriminant evidence of validity based on strong observed relationships with measures of depression. The present series of meta-analyses compares STAI-T scores among individuals with depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and nonclinical comparison groups, as well as correlations with measures of anxiety and depressive symptom severity, in order to further examine discriminant and convergent validity. A total of 388 published studies (N = 31,021) were included in the analyses. Individuals with an anxiety disorder and those with a depressive disorder displayed significantly elevated scores on the STAI-T compared to nonclinical comparison groups. Furthermore, anxiety and depressive symptom severity were similarly strongly correlated with the STAI-T (mean r = .59 - .61). However, individuals with a depressive disorder had significantly higher STAI-T scores than individuals with an anxiety disorder (Hedges's g = 0.27). Given these findings, along with previous factor analyses that have observed a depression factor on the STAI-T, describing the scale as a measure of 'trait anxiety' may be a misnomer. It is proposed that the STAI-T be considered a non-specific measure of negative affectivity rather than trait anxiety per se.

Indexed as

Anxiety DisordersDepressionAnxietyFactor Analysis, StatisticalHumansPersonality InventoryDepressionMeta-analysisNegative affectivity/neuroticismSTAITrait anxiety

Identifiers

PMID33091745
PMCPMC7680410

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.