TY - JOUR
T1 - Psychometric properties of the Spence Child Anxiety Scale with adolescents from five European countries
AU - Essau, Cecilia A.
AU - Sasagawa, Satoko
AU - Anastassiou-Hadjicharalambous, Xenia
AU - Guzmán, Beatriz Olaya
AU - Ollendick, Thomas H.
PY - 2011/1
Y1 - 2011/1
N2 - This study examined the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the original Spence Child Anxiety Scale (SCAS) and its four translations (German, Cypriot Greek, Swedish, Italian). A total of 2558 adolescents from five European countries (Germany. = 495; Cyprus. = 611; UK. = 469; Sweden. = 484; Italy. = 499), ages 12-17 years, participated in the study. In addition to the SCAS, all participants completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, a measure of general difficulties and positive attributes. The internal consistency and validity (convergent and discriminant) of the SCAS were excellent. Multiple group confirmatory factor analysis provided strong support for the generalizability of a 6-factor inter-correlated model across five European countries. Adolescents in the UK had significantly higher anxiety levels than adolescents in four other European countries. Our findings suggest that the SCAS is suitable for assessing anxiety disorder symptoms in adolescents in Germany, the UK, Cyprus, Sweden, and in Italy.
AB - This study examined the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the original Spence Child Anxiety Scale (SCAS) and its four translations (German, Cypriot Greek, Swedish, Italian). A total of 2558 adolescents from five European countries (Germany. = 495; Cyprus. = 611; UK. = 469; Sweden. = 484; Italy. = 499), ages 12-17 years, participated in the study. In addition to the SCAS, all participants completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, a measure of general difficulties and positive attributes. The internal consistency and validity (convergent and discriminant) of the SCAS were excellent. Multiple group confirmatory factor analysis provided strong support for the generalizability of a 6-factor inter-correlated model across five European countries. Adolescents in the UK had significantly higher anxiety levels than adolescents in four other European countries. Our findings suggest that the SCAS is suitable for assessing anxiety disorder symptoms in adolescents in Germany, the UK, Cyprus, Sweden, and in Italy.
KW - Adolescents
KW - Anxiety disorders
KW - Spence Children's Anxiety Scale
KW - Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=78650242905&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.janxdis.2010.07.001
DO - 10.1016/j.janxdis.2010.07.001
M3 - Article
C2 - 20685072
AN - SCOPUS:78650242905
SN - 0887-6185
VL - 25
SP - 19
EP - 27
JO - Journal of Anxiety Disorders
JF - Journal of Anxiety Disorders
IS - 1
ER -