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Psychometric Properties of the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) in Cypriot Children and Adolescents

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Abstract

The Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) is a 38-item self-report questionnaire which measures symptoms of DSM-IV anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Greek translation of SCAS in a large community sample of children and adolescents (N = 1,072), aged 12–17 years, in the non-occupied territory of Cyprus. A subsample of these participants was retested 8 weeks after the initial assessment. The SCAS demonstrated high internal consistency (alpha = .92) and test–retest reliability (r = .88). The SCAS total scores correlated significantly with the anxious/depressed subscale of the Youth Self-Report, the Columbia Impairment Scale, and with the emotional subscale of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed the same six-factor structure as the original SCAS. The SCAS proved to be a reliable and valid measure of anxiety symptoms in the Cypriot context.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Whitelands College, Roehampton University, Holybourne Avenue, London, SW, 15 4JD, UK

    Cecilia A. Essau

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Xenia Anastassiou-Hadjicharalambous

  3. School of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, Lancashire, UK

    Luna C. Muñoz

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  1. Cecilia A. Essau
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  2. Xenia Anastassiou-Hadjicharalambous
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  3. Luna C. Muñoz
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Correspondence to Cecilia A. Essau.

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Essau, C.A., Anastassiou-Hadjicharalambous, X. & Muñoz, L.C. Psychometric Properties of the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) in Cypriot Children and Adolescents. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 42, 557–568 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-011-0232-7

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