Scale Overview
The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders Child Version – SCARED-Child was developed by Birmaher, B., Khetarpal, S., Brent, D., Cully, M., Balach, L., Kaufman, J., & Neer, S. M. (1997). It is designed to measure Childhood anxiety disorders. The scale is intended for use with Children and adolescents aged 8-18 years.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 41 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: Somatic/panic, Generalised anxiety, Separation anxiety, Social phobia, School avoidance.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Somatic/panic |
1,6,9,12,15,18,19,22,24,27,30,34,38 |
13 |
| Generalised anxiety |
5,7,14,21,23,28,33,35,37 |
9 |
| Separation anxiety |
4,8,13,16,20,25,29,31 |
8 |
| Social phobia |
3,10,26,32,39,40,41 |
7 |
| School avoidance |
2,11,17,36 |
4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Not True or Hardly Ever True, 1 = Somewhat True or Sometimes True, 2 = Very True or Often True.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 82. Interpretation guidelines:
- Below clinical threshold: 0 – 24
- May indicate the presence of an anxiety disorder: 25 – 82
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Good internal consistency and discriminant validity.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.