Abstract
The Fear Survey Schedule for Children-Revised (FSSC-R), Revised-Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS), and the Modified State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC-M) are three widely used self-report measures of childhood anxiety. While previous studies have established the reliability of these measures, their validity in discriminating anxious from non-anxious youngsters remains to be established. The present study examines the discriminant validity of the three measures by comparing clinic referred samples of boys with an anxiety disorder (n=105) or ADHD (n=59) with a community sample of never-psychiatrically-ill boys (n=49). Results indicated that the two patient groups differed significantly from the never-psychiatrically-ill group on the RCMAS and STAIC-M, but the anxious and ADHD groups did not differ from each other. None of the three groups differed on the FSSC-R. The implications of these findings for the assessment of childhood anxiety disorders are discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson, J. C., Williams, S., McGee, R., & Silva, P. A. (1987). DSM-III disorders in preadolescent children.Archives of General Psychology, 44, 69–76.
Biederman, J., Faraone, S. V., Keenan, K., Knee, B. A., & Tsuang, M. T. (1990). Family-genetic and psychosocial risk factors in DSM-III attention deficit disorder.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 29, 526–533.
Bell-Dolan, D. J., Last, C. G., & Strauss, C. C. (1990). Symptoms of anxiety disorders in normal children.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 29, 759–765.
Fox, J. E., & Houston, B. K. (1983). Distinguishing between cognitive and somatic trait and somatic state anxiety in children.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 45, 862–870.
Hodges, K. (1990). Depression and anxiety in Children: A comparison of self-report questionnaires to clinical interview.Psychological Assessment: A Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2, 376–381.
Hoehn-Saric, E., Maisami, M., & Wiegand, D. (1987). Measurement of anxiety in children and adolescents using semistructured interviews.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 26, 541–545.
Last, C. G. (1986).Modification of the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children (Present Episode) (K-SADS). Unpublished manuscript.
Last, C. G. (1991). Somatic complaints in anxiety disordered children.Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 18, 125–138.
Last, C. G. (1992). Reliabilities for theSchedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children (Present Episode) (K-SADS). Unpublished raw data.
Last, C. G., Francis, G., & Strauss, C. C. (1989). Assessing fears in anxiety-disordered children with the Revised Fear Survey Schedule for Children (FSSC-R).Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 18, 137–141.
Last, C. G., Hersen, M., Kazdin, A. E., Orvaschel, H., & Perrin, S. (1991). Anxiety disorders in children and their families.Archives of General Psychiatry, 48, 928–934.
Last, C. G., Perrin, S., Hersen, M., & Kazdin, A. E. (1992).Anxiety disorders in Children: A prospective study of recovery and risk. Unpublished manuscript.
Mattison, R. E., & Bagnato, S. J. (1987). Empirical measurement of overanxious disorder in boys 8 to 12 years old.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 26, 536–540.
Mattison, R. E., Bagnato, S. J., & Brubaker, B. H. (1988). Diagnostic utility of the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale in children with DSM-III anxiety disorders.Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 2, 147–155.
McClellan, J. M., Rubert, M. P., Reichler, R. J., & Sylvester, C. E. (1990). Attention deficit disorder in children at risk for anxiety and depression.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 29, 536–540.
Ollendick, T. H. (1983). Reliability and validity of the Revised Fear Survey Schedule for Children (FSSC-R).Behavioral Research and Therapy, 21, 685–692.
Ollendick, T. H., Matson, J. L., & Helsel, W. J. (1985). Fear in children and adolescents: Normative data.Behavioral Research and Therapy, 23, 465–467.
Papay, J. P., & Spielberger, C. D. (1986). Assessment of anxiety and achievement in kindergarten and first-and second-grade children.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 14, 279–286.
Reeves, J. C., Werry, J. S., Elkind, G. S., & Zametkin, A. (1987). Attention deficit, conduct, oppositional, and anxiety disorders in children: II. Clinical characteristics.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 26, 144–155.
Reynolds, C. R., & Paget, K. D. (1983). National normative and reliability data for the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale.School Psychology Review, 12, 324–336.
Reynolds, C. R., & Richmond, B. O. (1978). Factor structure and construct validity of “What I Think and Feel”: The Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale.Journal of Personality Assessment, 43, 281–283.
Spielberger, C. D. (1973).Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (Form Y). Palo Alto: Consulting Psychologists Press.
Strauss, C. C., Last, C. G., Hersen, M., & Kazdin, A. E. (1988). Association between anxiety and depression in children and adolescents with anxiety disorders.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 16, 57–68.
Wisniewski, J. J., Mulick, J. A., Genshaft, J. L., & Coury, D. L. (1987). Test-retest reliability of the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale.Perceptual and Motor Skills, 65, 67–70.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Perrin, S., Last, C.G. Do childhood anxiety measures measure anxiety?. J Abnorm Child Psychol 20, 567–578 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00911241
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00911241