Exploring the utility of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scales parent- and child-report forms in a North American sample

Abstract

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale child- and parent-report forms in a sample of 85 children from the community and 85 children with anxiety disorders matched on sex and age. Results indicated that both versions of the scale had good internal reliability, with the exception of the physical injury fears subscale. All subscales and the total scores of both versions discriminated children in the anxious group from community controls. Strong correlations between child and parent reports supported the concurrent validity of the measure. Furthermore, convergent and divergent validity of the scales were supported by significant correlations with negative affect and physiological hyperarousal to a greater extent than with positive affect indicating that SCAS and SCAS-P measured anxiety rather than depressive symptoms. Mean differences with research from other countries were apparent for selected subscales and supported the need for culture-specific norms.