Psychometric Properties of the SCARED in a Nationally Representative U.S. Sample of 5–12-Year-Olds

Abstract

Objective: To examine the factor structure of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders – Parent Report (SCARED-P) in young children and elucidate normative levels of parent-reported anxiety using a nationally representative sample of parents of children ages 5–12 years living in the United States. Method: The 41-item SCARED-P was administered to parents of 1,570 youth who were selected to match the U.S. population on key demographic variables. SCARED-P model fit and mean score differences by age, race/ethnicity, and sex were assessed. Results: SCARED-P model fit and subscale reliability appeared almost identical in younger children (ages 5–8) and older children (ages 9–12), although model fit for a five-factor model was poor in both groups. Symptoms of generalized anxiety increased from age 5 to 12, while symptoms of separation anxiety disorder decreased. Parents reported significantly more symptoms of social anxiety in females than males. No significant differences by race/ethnicity were found for mean levels of anxiety or model fit. Conclusions: The SCARED-P shows some utility as an anxiety screening instrument in a representative sample of U.S. youth as young as 5-years-old, but caution should be used when interpreting subscale scores.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported by NICHD grant R21HD090145 awarded to O.L. The authors declare they have no competing or potential conflicts of interest.