Table 2.
Summary of Subjects' Health Information
| Criteria | Focus Group Population |
Focus Group Severity | Content Validation Population |
Content Validation Severity | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe | Moderate | Mild | In Remission |
Severe | Moderate | Mild | In Remission |
|||
| Sample size | 38 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 20 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 4 |
| Health in general | ||||||||||
| Excellent | 1 (2.6%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 (20.0%) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Very good | 8 (21.1%) | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 (25.0%) | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Good | 12 (31.6%) | 6 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 (35.0%) | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Fair | 11 (28.9%) | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 (15.0%) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Poor | 3 (7.9%) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 (5.0%) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Missing data | 3 (7.9%) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 (0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Comorbid conditions | ||||||||||
| Anxiety disorder | 23 (60.5%) | 12 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 9 (45.0%) | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| Arthritis | 7 (18.4%) | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 (10.0%) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Cancer | 1 (2.6%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 (5.0%) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Chronic headaches | 4 (10.5%) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 (20.0%) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Chronic low back pain | 9 (23.7%) | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 (30.0%) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Colitis | 0 (0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (0.0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Diabetes | 3 (7.9%) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 (10.0%) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Fibromyalgia | 1 (2.6%) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (5.0%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Heart or circulatory condition | 1 (2.6%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 (15.0%) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Interstitial cystitis | 0 (0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (0.0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Panic disorder | 7 (18.4%) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 (15.0%) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Thyroid disease | 1 (2.6%) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (10.0%) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| None | 6 (15.8%) | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 (20.0%) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Other | 9 (23.7%) | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 (10.0%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Missing data | 0 (0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (5.0%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Type of careii | ||||||||||
| Care from a psychiatrist | 31 (81.6%) | 14 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 4 (20.0%) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Care from a psychologist | 14 (36.8%) | 8 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 (20.0%) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Care from a primary physician | 12 (31.6%) | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 18 (90.0%) | 1 | 7 | 6 | 4 |
| Mental health clinic | 5 (13.2%) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 (5.0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Support group | 7 (18.4%) | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 (0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other (Therapist) | 2 (5.3%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 (0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other (NP) | 1 (2.6%) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 (0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other (Hospital) | 0 (0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (5.0%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Other (Medication) | 0 (0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (5.0%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Missing data | 3 (7.9%) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 (0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Medicationii | ||||||||||
| SSRI | 17 (44.7%) | 7 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 12 (60.0%) | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| NDRI | 4 (10.5%) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 (15.0%) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| SNRI | 12 (31.6%) | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 (10.0%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Tricyclic | 2 (5.3%) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 (0.0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tetracyclic | 2 (5.3%) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 (0.0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Atypical antipsychotic | 5 (13.2%) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 (0.0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other (various) | 10 (26.3%) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 (20.0%) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Missing data | 5 (13.2%) | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 (5.0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Years experiencing symptoms | ||||||||||
| < 1 year | 1 (2.6%) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 (5.0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1-5 years | 6 (15.8%) | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 13 (65.0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5-10 years | 4 (10.5%) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 (10.0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10-15 years | 6 (15.8%) | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 (15.0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15-20 years | 3 (7.9%) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 (0.0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| > 20 years* | 13 (34.2%) | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 (0.0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Missing data | 5 (13.2%) | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 (5.0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
i: One subject dropped out of study during focus group
ii: Subjects were instructed to check all that apply; total will not equal 100%
*: Subjects who described how long they experienced their symptom with words such as: "forever," "most of my life," "many years," "very long time," etc. are included in this category
Note: Percentages (%) are rounded; each criterion (where appropriate) ≈ 100%x'