Children's separation anxiety scale (CSAS): psychometric properties.

Xavier Méndez,José P Espada,Mireia Orgilés,José M García-Fernández,Luis M Llavona,Ingmar Ha Franken

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0103212

Abstract

This study describes the psychometric properties of the Children's Separation Anxiety Scale (CSAS), which assesses separation anxiety symptoms in childhood. Participants in Study 1 were 1,908 schoolchildren aged between 8 and 11. Exploratory factor analysis identified four factors: worry about separation, distress from separation, opposition to separation, and calm at separation, which explained 46.91% of the variance. In Study 2, 6,016 children aged 8–11 participated. The factor model in Study 1 was validated by confirmatory factor analysis. The internal consistency (α = 0.82) and temporal stability (r = 0.83) of the instrument were good. The convergent and discriminant validity were evaluated by means of correlations with other measures of separation anxiety, childhood anxiety, depression and anger. Sensitivity of the scale was 85% and its specificity, 95%. The results support the reliability and validity of the CSAS.

Highlights

Separation anxiety disorder (SAD) in children is characterized by excessive and inappropriate anxiety for the child’s stage of development, and which he or she experiences on being separated from attachment figures – generally the parents – or spending time outside his or her home [1]
In the total sample we found a significant decrease in separation anxiety with age (F3, 6012 = 49.01, p,0.001)
The results revealed that a score of 68 in the Children’s Separation Anxiety Scale (CSAS) is the optimal cut-off, because it achieved the best balance, with good sensitivity (85%, 95% CI, 70–94) and specificity (95%, 95% CI, 92–97), a positive predictive value (PPV) of 76 and an negative predictive value (NPV) of 98

Summary

Introduction

Separation anxiety disorder (SAD) in children is characterized by excessive and inappropriate anxiety for the child’s stage of development, and which he or she experiences on being separated from attachment figures – generally the parents – or spending time outside his or her home [1]. This disproportionate anxiety manifests itself in distress, worry and resistance to or rejection of the separation. The presence of SAD in childhood predicts this same disorder in adolescence (age 13–19) [4]. SAD is a strong risk factor (78.6%) for the development of psychopathology in young adulthood (age 19– 30), so that the diagnosis, assessment and treatment of children with SAD are relevant for preventing the appearance of disorders such as panic and depression [5]

Methods

Results

Conclusion