Social Anxiety Scale For Children Research Articles

Loneliness status and influencing factors among rural left-behind children in China: A cross-sectional study

We investigated the current status and main factors of loneliness among rural left-behind children. We conducted a survey of 812 rural left-behind children in China using the Sociodemographic Questionnaire, the Children’s Loneliness Scale, the Social Anxiety Scale for Children, the Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale, and the Piers-Harris Child Self-Concept Scale. Results showed that (a) 66.26% had a sense of loneliness; (b) there were correlations between loneliness and 7 sociodemographic variables, social anxiety, self-esteem, and self-concept; (c) grade, age, parental separation duration, contact frequency with parents, social anxiety, self-esteem, and self-concept were the main factors influencing the level of loneliness among rural left-behind children. Recommendations for parents and teachers are suggested.

Effect of online game policy on smartphone game play time, addiction, and emotion in rural adolescents of China

BackgroundSmartphone game addiction has emerged as a major public health problem in China and worldwide. In November 2019 and August 2021, the National Press and Publication Administration of China implemented two increasingly strict policies, as a means of preventing smartphone game addiction in adolescents aged 18 or below. This study aimed to analyze the effect of the policies on smartphone game play time, addiction, and emotion among rural adolescents in China.MethodsWe sent the questionnaire to rural adolescents through the online survey tool Questionnaire Star, a professional online survey evaluation platform. The questionnaire included demographic data, smartphone use survey, smartphone game addiction and emotion evaluation scales. The Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV) measured adolescents’ smartphone game addiction. The Short Version of UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale (SUPPS-P) and Social Anxiety Scale for Children (SASC) measured emotion. According to SAS-SV score, the enrolled rural adolescents were divided into addiction group and non-addiction group. The t-test, Chi-square test, and repeated measure ANOVA assessed the effect of the policies on adolescents’ smartphone game addiction and emotion.ResultsAmong enrolled 459 rural adolescents with a mean age of 14.36 ± 1.37years, 151 (32.90%) were in the addiction group and 308 (67.10%) were in the non-addiction group. Adolescents in the addiction group were older, more male, and higher grade. There were time and group effects between the two groups in playtime. After a year of policies implementation, the weekly game time dropped from 3.52 ± 1.89 h to 2.63 ± 1.93 h in the addiction group and from 2.71 ± 1.75 h to 2.36 ± 1.73 h in the non-addiction group. There were also time and group effects in SAS-SV and SASC scores, but not for SUPPS-P score. In the addiction group, the SAS-SV score dropped from 41.44 ± 7.45 to 29.58 ± 12.43, which was below the cut-off value for addiction, and the level of social anxiety was consistently higher than non-addiction group.ConclusionsThe playtime of rural adolescents spent on smartphone games has decreased significantly due to the restriction of the policies rather than the lack of addiction or social anxiety. The policies had practically significant effects in reducing smartphone game play time for rural adolescents in China.

Intervention effect of head acupuncture therapy combined with traditional music aesthetic education on children’s social anxiety disorders

BackgroundSocial Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a highly prevalent anxiety disorder characterized by the excessive or irrational fear of particular external objects and situations. The study proposes to treat social anxiety disorders in children with the help of head acupuncture therapy. Considering the pathological features of anxiety disorders in children, a combined intervention with traditional music aesthetic education is also proposed.Subjects and Methods Children suffering from social anxiety disorder were taken as research subjects and randomly divided into experimental and control groups. Both groups were treated with head acupuncture. The experimental group added a traditional music aesthetic education intervention to help the children relieve their anxiety through music and learning. The experimental intervention time was six weeks, and the experimental data were statistically analyzed with the help of the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and Social Anxiety Scale for Children (SASC). The difference was statistically significant at P<0.05.ResultsAfter the experimental intervention, it was found that there was a statistically significant difference between the social anxiety scale scores of the two groups of children (P<0.05), with a significant effect of decreasing the scores of the SASC scale for children in the experimental group by more than 15%.Conclusions Aesthetic education is a combination of aesthetic and beauty teaching, and its combination with cephalic acupuncture therapy can better alleviate the symptoms of children’s social anxiety disorder and help and guide their cognitive behavior.

Role of Family Environment in Self-Esteem and Social Anxiety in Adolescents

The family environment incorporates the conditions and social environment circumstances inside families. Families where guardians are extremely strict and do not offer the youngsters opportunity to express, as a result their kids demonstrate low self-regard and poor association with society. In this manner, the present investigation was directed with a specific end goal to look at the relationship between family environment, self-esteem and social anxiety among adolescents. A sample comprised of 270 adolescents 110 boys and 160 girls of 9th and 10th grade were selected through convenient sampling technique. Family Environment Scale, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and Social Anxiety Scale for Children and Adolescents were used to assess study variables. Results revealed system maintenance negatively predicted social anxiety. Moreover, family relationships and system maintenance positively predicted self-esteem. Self-esteem did not mediate the relation between family relationships, personal growth, and system maintenance with social anxiety in adolescents. This study is important for adolescents counselling.

Yanığı Olan Adölesanlarda Benlik Saygısı ile Sosyal Anksiyete Arasındaki İlişkinin Belirlenmesi

Objective: Burns are complex, traumatic incidents including significant morbidity and impairment of psychological, emotional, and physical well-being. This study aimed to determine the relationship between self-esteem and social anxiety in adolescents with burns. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive research design was used. The research was carried out in the 12-bed Pediatric Burn Center with 86 adolescents. The data collection form, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Social Anxiety Scale for Children was used. Comparisons were made at the p<.05 significance level for statistical analyses. Results: Hot liquid (31.4%), chemicals (22.1%), flames (17.4%), electricity (16.3%), and contact with hot objects (12.8%) were burn factors. It was determined that 81.4% of the participants had a scar/mark. The total body surface area of the burn was determined as 1%-10% (61.6%), 10%-25% (32.6%), ≥50% (3.5%), and 25%-50% (2.3%). The multiple linear regression model established according to the effects of self-esteem scores and socio-demographic variables on children’s social anxiety was statistically significant (F(20.65)=2.384, p<.05). In the study, 42.6% of the variance in the scores on the social anxiety scale for children was explained by self-esteem scores and socio-demographic variables. Self-esteem scores predicted children’s social anxiety scores statistically positively and significantly (B=4.413, t=4.139, p<.05). Conclusion: The study revealed that there was relation between low self-esteem and high social anxiety in adolescents with burns in line with our study question, while there is no relation between characteristics of children and burn history in children.

Effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Depression and Its Components in Children with Social Anxiety

Background and Objective: Depression in children is especially related to social anxiety. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of emotion-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (ECBT) in depression and its components in children with social anxiety. Materials and Methods: This research was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest control group design. Among the primary school students of Qom in the 2019 academic year, 46 students whose score was higher than 29.5 on the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale for Children and Adolescents were selected and randomly assigned to experimental (n=23) and control (n=23) groups. Firstly, both groups responded to Children's Depression Inventory as the pre-test. Thereafter, the experimental group participated in the 16 sessions of ECBT, and the control group remained on the waiting list. Finally, the two groups were administered the post-test. Results: The results of Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) demonstrated that after the control of pre-test effects, there was a significant difference in the linear combination of depression components of the two groups (Wilks' lambda= 0.065, F33,5= 94.662, P= 0.001). The results of univariate tests of ANCOVA also showed a significant decrease (P<0.01) in all depression components (and also the total score) in children of the experimental group after the ECBT sessions. Conclusion: As evidenced by the results of this study, ECBT is an effective treatment for depression in children with social anxiety. It is suggested that mental health professionals prioritize this treatment in their therapeutic programs.

Effect of Psychological Counseling Based on Problem Management Plus on Social Anxiety in Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a widespread mental growth disorder. Children with ASD are unlikely to restore the ability of living independent, which definitely brings their parents greater psychological pressure and psychological problems such as social anxiety. Therefore, it is pressing to conduct intervention research on social anxiety and other problems in parents of children with ASD. In 2022, Seventy-three parents of children with ASD were enrolled from Beijing Tongkangyuan Children's Rehabilitation Institute. They were randomly divided into the experiment group (N=36) and the control group (N=37). The experiment group was intervened with psychological counseling based on problem management plus in combination with Tai Chi. The control group did not receive any psychological intervention. Social Anxiety Scale for Children, Parenting Stress Index-Short Form and Social Support Rate Scale were used for measurement before and after the intervention. The experiment group had significantly higher decreases than the control group in the total score in social anxiety and the scores in its two dimensions after intervention (P=0.001). The experiment group had significant decreases in the total score in parenting stress and the scores in parenting distress and dysfunctional parent-child interaction (P=0.001), while there was no change in the control group. The experiment group had significant improvement in social support, which was also significantly higher than that of the control group (P=0.001). Psychological counseling based on problem management plus could effectively alleviate social anxiety and parental pressure in parents of children with ASD, improve their social support and play a significant role in enhancing their mental health.

Social anxiety disorder in adolescents who stutter: A risk for school refusal.

Stuttering is a childhood-onset fluency disorder. Part of the counseling for middle and high school students with persistent stuttering is related to school refusal. Anxiety disorders are known to contribute to school refusal. However, it is not known whether social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a factor in school refusal among adolescents who stutter. In our first study, we examined the relationship between school refusal and SAD in 84 middle and high school students who stutter; 26% of the 84 students were in the school refusal group and the remaining 74% were in the school attendance group. The second study examined whether SAD was associated with 10 factors related to speech and stuttering frequency using the Japanese version of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale for Children and Adolescents to determine the presence of SAD. Of the 84 students in the first study, 40 participated in the second study. The school refusal group of adolescents who stutter had significantly higher rates of SAD than the school attendance group. Fifty percent of adolescents who stutter met the criteria for SAD. Moreover, adolescents who stutter with SAD had significantly higher scores on the items "When speaking in public, do you experience tremors in your limbs?" and "After you stutter, do you have negative thoughts about yourself?" than the adolescents who stutter without SAD. When examining adolescents who stutter, checking for comorbid SAD may lead to better support. Moreover, noticing their repetitive negative thinking, nervousness, and trembling during speech may help to resolve SAD.

Age-dependent alterations in the coordinated development of subcortical regions in adolescents with social anxiety disorder.

Subcortical brain regions play essential roles in the pathology of social anxiety disorder (SAD). While adolescence is the peak period of SAD, the relationships between altered development of the subcortical regions during this period and SAD are still unclear. This study investigated the age-dependent alterations in structural co-variance among subcortical regions and between subcortical and cortical regions, aiming to reflect aberrant coordination during development in the adolescent with SAD. High-resolution T1-weighted images were obtained from 76 adolescents with SAD and 67 healthy controls (HC), ranging from 11 to 17.9years. Symptom severity was evaluated with the Social Anxiety Scale for Children (SASC) and the Depression Self Rating Scale for Children (DSRS-C). Structural co-variance and sliding age-window analyses were used to detect age-dependent group differences in inter-regional coordination patterns among subcortical regions and between subcortical and cortical regions. The volume of the striatum significantly correlated with SAD symptom severity. The SAD group exhibited significantly enhanced structural co-variance among key regions of the striatum(putamen and caudate). While the co-variance decreased with age in healthy adolescents, the co-variance in SAD adolescents stayed high, leading to more apparent group differences in middle adolescence. Moreover, the striatum's mean structural co-variance with cortical regions decreased with age in HC but increased with age in SAD. Adolescents with SAD suffer aberrant developmental coordination among the key regions of the striatum and between the striatum and cortical regions. The degree of incoordination is age-dependent, which may represent a neurodevelopmental trait of SAD.

Habitual dairy consumption is inversely associated with depressive and social anxiety symptoms among children and adolescents aged 7–17 years: Findings from a cross-sectional study in Beijing, China

BackgroundKnowledge remains limited about dairy consumption and childhood depression and social anxiety, which is our purpose. MethodsA cross-sectional study including children and adolescents aged 7–17 years was conducted in 2020 in Beijing. Depression and social anxiety were assessed using the Children's Depression Inventory and the social anxiety scale for children. Habitual dairy consumption was defined as ≥6 days/week. Multivariate linear and logistic regression models were employed to analyze the associations between dairy consumption and depression and social anxiety. Subgroup analyses were conducted to test the robustness of the main results. ResultsA total of 1353 participants were included, with a mean age of 12.06 (SD = 3.10) years old. There were 53.58 % habitual dairy consumers and nearly 11.01 % consumed of ≤1 day/week. The prevalence of depression and social anxiety was 14.04 % and 29.64 %. Compared to participants with less dairy intake, the scores of depression and social anxiety in habitual dairy consumers decreased by 1.725 (95 % CI: −2.939, −0.512) and 1.083 (95 % CI: −1.821, −0.345). Correspondingly, habitual dairy consumption was inversely correlated with depression (OR = 0.602, 95%CI: 0.369–0.982) and social anxiety (OR = 0.622, 95%CI: 0.418–0.923). Such inverse associations were more pronounced in younger participants, those without siblings, with higher parental education and higher consumption of fruits or vegetables. LimitationsConclusions about causality remain speculative due to the cross-sectional design. ConclusionsHabitual dairy consumption is inversely associated with childhood depression and social anxiety. A potential attempt could be implemented when recommending dairy products as an adjuvant therapy for childhood mental disorders.

The Influence of Teacher-Student Relationship on Anxiety and Depression in Children

Children’s mental health plays a very important role in their personality development in the early age, while negative mental situation will probably make strong influence to their development of mental health. In order to discuss the reasons of children’s emotion of anxiety and depression, this research used Social Anxiety Scale for Children (SASC), teacher-student relationship (TSRS), Children’s Depression Ra-ting Scale (CDRS), Self Perception Profile for Children (SPPC) to measure specific emotional fields among 340 students from Shandong province. The results show that: 1. Teacher-Students relationship predicted anxiety and depression level of primary school students in high grades; 2. Teacher-students intimacy significantly negative predicted the children’s anxiety and depression level, while Teacher-students conflict significantly positive predicted the degree of children’s anxiety; 3. Children's self-perception and optimism also have significant influence on children's anxiety and depression level.

Parental Psychological Control and Children's Prosocial Behavior: The Mediating Role of Social Anxiety and the Moderating Role of Socioeconomic Status.

Complementing internalizing and externalizing developmental outcomes of parental psychological control, in this study, we shift the focus to children’s prosocial behaviors. Drawing on self-determination theory and problem-behavior theory, this study addresses the relationship between parental psychological control, social anxiety, socioeconomic status (SES), and children’s prosocial behavior. The parental psychological control scale, social anxiety scale for children, and prosocial behavior were applied in the study. Participants were 1202 elementary school-age children in China. The present study showed that parental psychological control was negatively associated with prosocial behavior and social anxiety played a partial mediating role between parental psychological control and prosocial behavior. Meanwhile, SES moderated the relationship between parental psychological control and prosocial behavior. The effect of parental psychological control on prosocial behavior was more significant among students with low levels of SES than the higher ones. The findings showed that parenting plays an essential role in the development of children’s prosociality.

Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Depressive and Social Anxiety Symptoms Among Children and Adolescents Aged 7-17 Years, Stratified by Body Composition.

BackgroundRare studies investigated the associations between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption with depressive and social anxiety symptoms among children and adolescents, particularly in different stratification of body composition, which was our purpose.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of children and adolescents aged 7–17 years was conducted in Beijing, China, in 2020, with an average age of 12.07 (SD: 3.09) years. Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) questionnaires and social anxiety scale for children (SASC) were completed in the baseline questionnaires. SSB consumption and body composition were assessed using child-reported questionnaires and a GE Healthcare Lunar iDXA dual-energy X-ray bone densitometer. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the associations between SSB consumption with depressive and social anxiety symptoms. Confounders were evaluated by child-reported and parental questionnaires, including age, sex, parental educational attainment, maternal smoking status, single-child status, BMI, incomes, fruit consumption, physical activity, screen time, and the frequency of fried food consumption. Stratified analyses were performed to explore whether the associations were influenced by body composition.ResultsA total of 1,311 children and adolescents, including 658 boys and 653 girls, were included in the final analysis. There were 13.96 and 29.75% of the study population with depressive and social anxiety symptoms, respectively. Overall, about 63.77% of the children and adolescents consumed SSB, and the average SSB intake was 0.35 servings per day. In the fully adjusted model, compared to participants who did not consume SSB each day, SSB consumption of ≥1 servings/day was positively associated with depressive symptoms [odds ratio (OR) = 2.28, 95% CI = 1.30–4.01] and social anxiety (OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 0.69–1.77), though the latter did not reach statistical significance. When individuals had higher body fat or lower fat-free mass (FFM) or muscle, the ORs of depressive symptoms were more evident among children and adolescents who drank SSB for ≥1 servings/day (P < 0.05).ConclusionHigher consumption of SSB could be associated with increased OR of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. The association remained robust, especially in groups with higher body fat or lower fat-free mass or muscle.

Altered brain activity and functional networks in school-age boys with severe haemophilia A: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

Microstructural alterations of brain structure in haemophilic boys were found in our previous study. We investigated alterations of brain function in school-age boys with severe haemophilia A (HA) with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). We obtained rs-fMRI scans from 24 boys with HA and 25 demographically matched healthy children. Spontaneous brain activity parameters were calculated. Graph theoretical analyses on rs-fMRI data at the global and regional levels were performed. Two-sample t tests were used to analyze differences, and correlation analyses identified relationships between altered neural properties and psychological characteristics. Children with severe HA showed small-worldness organization but with an increased efficiency and compactness in functional segregation. The whole brain showed an overtight connection pattern. At the regional level, significantly increased nodal efficiency in the salience network (SN), default mode network (DMN) and executive control network was found. Social Anxiety Scale for Children (SASC) scores were positively correlated with these alterations. Spontaneous brain activity alterations in regions including the cerebellum, frontal gyrus (orbital part), temporal gyrus and thalamus were observed; some of these regions have been closely related to social anxiety and family or social support. Our study is the first to evaluate the neurological functional changes in school-age boys with severe HA. Disruptions in topographic characteristics and abnormal activity were closely related to social conditions. These data could help us to understand early neurological alterations in haemophilic children, improve the traditional view of family support and strengthen normal school life at an early stage.

Effect of Digital Game Addiction and Social Anxiety Levels on Recreational Active Adolescents

The aim of the research is to investigate the digital game addiction and social anxiety levels of adolescents who play sports recreationally. 226 adolescents (69 girls, 157 boys) who do sports recreationally participated in the research. In the research, the personal information form prepared by the researcher and the short form of the digital game addiction scale (DGAS-7) developed by Lemmens and friends (2009) and adapted into Turkish by Irmak and Erdoğan (2015) and La Greca and others, (1988) developed by Demir and others, (2000) Social Anxiety Scale for Children which was adapted into Turkish, were used. SPSS 22 statistical program was used in the analysis of the research. Manova analysis and regression analysis were used in the research. The level of significance in the research was taken as p&lt;.01. As a result of the analysis, the digital game addiction score averages of boys were found to be significantly higher than girls. As a result of the regression analysis, it was determined that digital game addiction, together with the variables of gender and having a computer at home, predicted social anxiety at a statistically significant level.

Social Anxiety and Subjective Quality of Life Among Chinese Left-Behind Children: The Mediating Role of Social Support.

The issue of left-behind children has become a key focus in China. In this study, we investigate the mediating role of social support between social anxiety and the subjective quality of life among left-behind children in China (N = 379, Mage = 13.65). A total of 710 junior high school students were recruited using clustering random sampling from five middle schools in China and investigated using the Social Anxiety Scale for Children, Social Support Rating Scale for Adolescents, and Inventory of Subjective Life Quality. The results show that social anxiety is negatively associated with social support and subjective quality of life, and social support is positively correlated with subjective quality of life. In addition, social support partially mediates the relationship between social anxiety and subjective quality of life. In conclusion, these findings provide new insights to improve the subjective quality of life of left-behind children. The focus should be on alleviating social anxiety and increasing social support in order to help left-behind children improve their subjective quality of life.

Eating disorder and social anxiety symptoms in Iranian preadolescents: a network analysis.

Network studies of eating disorder (ED) symptoms have identified central and bridge symptoms in Western samples, yet few network models of ED symptoms have been tested in non-Western samples, especially among preadolescents. The current study tested a network model of ED symptoms in Iranian preadolescents (ages 9 to 13), as well as a model of co-occurring social anxiety disorder (SAD) and ED symptoms. Preadolescent boys (n = 405) and girls (n = 325) completed the Children Eating Attitudes Test-20 and Social Anxiety Scale for Children. We estimated two network models (ED and ED/SAD networks) and identified central and bridge symptoms, as well as tested if these models differed by sex. We found that discomfort eating sweets were the most central symptoms in ED networks. Concern over being judged was central in networks including both ED and SAD symptoms. Additionally, concern over being judged was the strongest bridge symptoms. Networks did not differ by sex. Future research is needed to test if interventions focused on bridge symptoms (i.e., concern over being judged) as primary intervention points target comorbid ED-SAD pathology in preadolescents at risk for ED and SAD. Level III; Evidence obtained from well-designed observational study, including case-control design for relevant aspects of the study.

Psychosocial status of patients with unilateral and bilateral microtia before auricular reconstruction surgery

ObjectiveMicrotia can profoundly influence health-related quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate the psychosocial status of children and adolescents with unilateral and bilateral microtia before reconstruction surgery. MethodsEighty-six patients with microtia from Peking Union Medical College Hospital (54 with unilateral microtia and 32 with bilateral microtia) responded to structured interviews before reconstruction surgery. The 3 clinically validated questionnaires were the Piers-Harris Children's Self-concept Scale (PHCSS), the Social Anxiety Scale for Children (SASC), and the Children's Loneliness Scale (CLS). Scores from the PHCSS and SASC were compared with Chinese norms. The total scores of the unilateral and bilateral groups were compared for all three questionnaires. ResultsMales with unilateral and bilateral microtia had significantly different PHSCC scores than norms (both P < 0.05), and male patients overall had a total score that was 10.61 ± 2.20 points lower than female patients overall. Patients who were 7–9 years-old in the unilateral group and 10 to 13 years-old in the bilateral group had lower total PHSCC scores than norms of the same age (both P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between patients and norms in the 14-16 years-old group. The SASC scores of patients were significantly higher than the norms (P < 0.05). The CLS score was significantly lower in the unilateral group than in the bilateral group (50.17 ± 14.63 vs. 61.38 ± 13.24, P < 0.05), but these two groups did not significantly differ in PHCSS and SASC scores. ConclusionCompared to Chinese norms, children with unilateral and bilateral microtia had lower self-concept, especially males and those who were 7–13 years-old. Patients with microtia also had increased social anxiety and loneliness. Patients with bilateral microtia were more likely to report loneliness than those with unilateral microtia.

Social anxiety and social skills via problematic smartphone use for predicting somatic symptoms and academic performance at primary school

Mobile phones have become an indispensable tool in different areas of life, however this often results in some negative effects, especially among their youngest users. The aim of the present study is to analyze the relationship between social anxiety and social skills via problematic smartphone use (PSU) for predicting somatic symptoms and academic performance. A total of N = 427 primary school students aged from 10 to 14 participated in the study and the following tools were used: the Smartphone Addiction Scale, the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale for Children and Adolescents, the Children's Self-Report Social Skills Scale, the Children's Somatization Inventory, and reported grade point average (GPA). The study showed that girls use smartphone applications such as talking, text messages, social networking, camera and organizer more often than boys. Our results showed a positive relationship between social skills and GPA, whereas PSU was negatively associated with GPA. Additionally, there was a positive relationship between social anxiety: avoidance and somatization. Social anxiety: fear was positively associated with GPA, whereas social anxiety: avoidance was negatively associated with GPA. In girls group there was a partial mediation between social skills and GPA via PSU, whereas in boys group there was a partial mediation between social skills and somatization via PSU.

Establishing the Psychometric Properties of the Self-Report Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale for Children and Adolescents in a General Population Adolescent Sample

Abstract. The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale for Children and Adolescents (LSAS-CA) is a valid and reliable clinician-administered measure of social anxiety symptoms in young people. It has been adapted for self-report completion, and although the psychometric properties of this version of the scale have been examined in Spanish, Hebrew, and French language versions, this has not yet been done for the English language version. In the present study, we examined the factor structure and psychometric properties of the self-report version of the scale (LSAS-CA-SR) in a sample of UK adolescents recruited from schools. The factor structure of the scale was determined in our sample of N = 829; a four-factor structure, with interaction anxiety, interaction avoidance, performance anxiety, and performance-avoidance subscales, provided the best fit to the data. Measurement invariance of the scale was demonstrated across age and gender. Psychometric properties of the scale were sound, with good internal consistency (.88–.97), acceptable test-retest reliability (.45–.57), and evidence for convergent and divergent validity.