Brief Symptom Inventory. The BSI depression
and anxiety symptom subscales comprise
6 items each. Participants were asked how
much the experiences described in each item
had distressed or disturbed them in the prior
week, with responses coded on a 5-point scale
ranging from ‘‘not at all’’ (zero) to ‘‘extremely’’
(4). The overall raw score is calculated by
summing each item score and dividing the sum
by the total number of questions answered. All
raw scores range from zero to 4. Depression
was measured by the following items: (1) no
interest in things, (2) hopelessness about the
future, (3) worthlessness feelings, (4) loneliness,
(5) very sad, and (6) suicidal thoughts. Anxiety
was measured by the following items: (1)
fearful, (2) tense or keyed up, (3) terror/panic
spells, (4) restlessness, (5) scared suddenly
without reason, and (6) nervousness or shakiness
inside