A French Translation of the Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Index (CASI): Factor Structure, Reliability and Validity of This Scale in a Nonclinical Sample of Children

Céline Stassart ,Anne-Marie Étienne

doi:10.5334/pb.an

Abstract

Introduction: Anxiety sensitivity (AS) refers to the fear of anxiety-related sensations due to beliefs that these sensations will lead to catastrophic outcomes. AS plays a central role in the etiology and maintenance of anxiety disorders. From a clinical perspective, it therefore seems important to possess a valid scale to assess AS in children. Objective, Method: This study examines the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the French translation of the Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Index (CASI) in 353 Belgian children (9 to 13 years). Result: Results show that AS can be adequately measured using the French version of the CASI and conceptualized as a hierarchical factor structure with four lower-order factors – Physical Concerns, Mental Incapacity Concerns, Social Concerns, and Losing Control Concerns – loading on a single higher-order factor, Anxiety Sensitivity. The reliability was acceptable for the total scale. Hierarchical multiple regressions show that the CASI makes a significant contribution in predicting anxiety. Conclusion: The data support the relevance of the French CASI in the assessment of AS in nonclinical children.

Highlights

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) refers to the fear of anxiety-related sensations due to beliefs that these sensations will lead to catastrophic outcomes
Several authors have questioned whether AS can even exist in young children because of their level of cognitive development (e.g., Chorpita, Albano, & Barlow, 1996), while others have argued that the association between bodily sensations and harmful consequences might be rare in children
The first factor corresponded to physical concerns, the second factor to mental incapacity concerns, and the third factor to social concerns

Summary

Introduction

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) refers to the fear of anxiety-related sensations due to beliefs that these sensations will lead to catastrophic outcomes. Given the high prevalence of anxiety disorders among youth – some 10% (Silverman & Treffers, 2001) – it is important to have valid instruments to measure AS, whether for clinical or preventive reasons This concept has mainly been studied in adults and relatively little in children. Several authors have questioned whether AS can even exist in young children because of their level of cognitive development (e.g., Chorpita, Albano, & Barlow, 1996), while others have argued that the association between bodily sensations and harmful consequences might be rare in children This does not mean that children have cognitive difficulties interpreting physical symptoms as catastrophic (Weems, Hammond-Laurence, Silverman, & Ginsburg, 1998). Even if children are not able to make internal attributions, they can learn by observation or by conditioning that anxious symptoms can lead to unpleasant consequences (Weems et al, 1998)

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