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Visual analogue mood scale scores in healthy young versus older adults

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 July 2018

Liana Machado Open the ORCID record for Liana Machado [Opens in a new window] ,
Laura M. Thompson  and
Christopher H. R. Brett
Liana Machado*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand Brain Research New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand
Laura M. Thompson
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand Brain Research New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand
Christopher H. R. Brett
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand Brain Research New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Dr. Liana Machado, Department of Psychology, Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, William James Building, 275 Leith Walk, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand. Phone: 0064 3 479 7622. Email: liana@psy.otago.ac.nz.
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Abstract

Background:

The current research sought to characterize current mood state profiles in healthy young versus older adults using 100-point visual analogue mood scales (VAMS), provide within-sample and new sample replication of age-group differences, assess sex differences, and compare with commonly used standardized symptom measures.

Methods:

In two studies, six word-only VAMS (happy, sad, calm, tense, energetic, and sleepy) were administered in a laboratory setting. In Study 1, 22 young and 29 older males completed the VAMS six times (twice per day at weekly intervals). In Study 2, 60 young (30 males) and 60 older (30 males) adults completed on one occasion the VAMS, Beck Depression Inventory-II, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.

Results:

VAMS scores showed that older adults had a tendency to indicate feeling happier, less sad, calmer, less tense, more energetic, and less sleepy than young adults. This pattern occurred across assessment points and irrespective of sex, except for the tense VAMS, which showed higher scores in females than males in young but not older adults. The standardized measures showed significant age-group differences for Trait Anxiety only (lower in older than young adults).

Conclusions:

These findings establish current mood state differences in young versus older adults. The absence of age-group differences in past studies may relate to the limited precision of the scales (only 7 points, in contrast to the 100-point scales used here).

Keywords

agingmood statecurrent mood stateaffective stateaffective symptoms
Type
Original Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 31 , Issue 3: Issue Theme: Caregiving for People with Dementia , March 2019 , pp. 417 - 424
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2018 

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