Assessing the validity and reliability of the Ukrainian version of the International Anxiety Questionnaire (IAQ) and the International Depression Questionnaire (IDQ) in a large national sample

The International Anxiety Questionnaire (IAQ) and International Depression Questionnaire (IDQ) are self-report measures of ICD-11 Generalized Anxiety Disorder (ICD-11 GAD) and ICD-11 Single Episode Depressive Disorder (ICD-11 DD). This study assesses the psychometric properties of the Ukrainian translation of the IAQ and IDQ in a community sample of 2,050 Ukrainian adults recruited approximately eighteen months after the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. Participants were draw from an existing panel representative of the population and completed an online survey. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the hypothesised unidimensional structure of the IAQ and IDQ. Item mean scores, scale summed scores, and item endorsement rates were described. Correlations between IAQ and IDQ summed scores with criterion-related variables (war-related displacement, serious life disruption, education attainment, financial insecurity, trauma exposure, and substance misuse) were assessed. Both measures were unidimensional and demonstrated excellent internal reliability. The prevalence estimates were 15.2% for ICD-11 GAD and 8.1% for ICD-11 DD. Females and younger participants were more likely to meet diagnostic requirements for both conditions. IAQ and IDQ scores were significantly associated with all criterion-related variables except education attainment. The Ukrainian IAQ and IDQ are psychometrically sound and can be feasibly applied in humanitarian settings to screen for anxiety- and mood-related distress that warrant clinical attention.