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Psychometric properties and diagnostic ability of the separation anxiety scale for children (SASC)

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Abstract

This research describes the psychometric properties of a new child self-report measure, the separation anxiety scale for children (SASC), which assesses the frequency of symptoms of separation anxiety in children from 8 to 11. The factor solution with a sample of 1,201 children from 8 to 11, isolated three factors, discomfort from separation, worry about separation, and calm at separation, tested by confirmatory factor analysis, which accounted for 32.80% of the total variance. Results indicated that the SASC has a high internal consistency (α = 0.83). The results revealed a high test-retest reliability of the instrument, and a high number of correctly diagnosed cases. The correlation of scores with other anxiety measures shows that the variable most associated with separation anxiety is trait–anxiety.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Personalidad Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológico, University of Murcia, Campus Universitario de Espinardo Ap. 4021, 30080, Murcia, Spain

    Xavier Méndez PhD

  2. Departamento de Psicología de la Salud, Miguel Hernandez University, Avda. de la Universidad, s/n, 03202, Elche, Alicante, Spain

    José P. Espada PhD

  3. Miguel Hernandez University, Avda. de la Universidad, s/n, 03202, Elche, Alicante, Spain

    Mireia Orgilés PhD

  4. Departamento de Psicologia Básica y Metodología, University of Murcia, Campus Universitario de Espinardo Ap. 4021, 30080, Murcia, Spain

    Maria D. Hidalgo PhD

  5. Departamento de Psicología Evolutiva y, Didáctica, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain

    José M. García-Fernández PhD

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  1. Xavier Méndez PhD
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  2. José P. Espada PhD
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  3. Mireia Orgilés PhD
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  4. Maria D. Hidalgo PhD
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  5. José M. García-Fernández PhD
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Correspondence to José P. Espada PhD.

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Méndez, X., Espada, J.P., Orgilés, M. et al. Psychometric properties and diagnostic ability of the separation anxiety scale for children (SASC). Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 17, 365–372 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-008-0678-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-008-0678-8

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