Psychometric Properties of the Parent Version of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale in a Clinical Sample of Turkish Children and Adolescents

The psychometric properties of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS-47) are established cross-culturally but lacking for the Greek population. The present study examined RCADS internal consistency and validity (structural and concurrent) in Greek adolescents, and tested measurement invariance across sex and age groups. We recruited 619 secondary school students ( n = 321 females), aged 12–18 years ( n = 318, 12–14-year-olds). Besides RCADS, all students completed Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), a subsample ( n = 300) completed Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), whereas a non-overlapping subsample ( n = 219) completed Depression Self-Rating Scale (DSRS). Structural validity was examined with Confirmatory Factor Analysis and measurement invariance was assessed with Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes (MIMIC) modeling. Convergent and divergent validity were examined using Spearman correlations between RCADS subscales and DSRS, SCARED, and SDQ validators. The six-factor model fitted the data best, validating the originally proposed RCADS structure. Three items displayed differential item functioning for sex, another three for age group, and one item for both, albeit with trivial effect sizes ( d < 0.2). Cronbach’s alpha was .94. Convergent and divergent validity were also established. In conclusion, the RCADS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing anxiety and depression symptoms in Greek adolescents.

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The tripartite model and dimensions of anxiety and depression in children and adolescents: Preliminary data from Serbia

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(11)72066-1 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 26 (S2) ◽

pp. 355-355

Author(s):

D. Stevanovic ◽

A. Lakic

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Emotional Disorders ◽

Separation Anxiety ◽

Child Anxiety ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Anxiety Scale ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

General Factor ◽

Tripartite Model

Introduction and objectivesThe tripartite model of emotions (TME) specifies a general factor, negative affect (NA), which represents a shared influence on anxiety and depression, and two specific factors, physiological hyperarousal (PH) common to anxiety, and (low) positive affect (PA) common to depression (Clark & Watson, 1991).AimsTo examine the relationships between TME and anxiety and depressive symptoms in children and adolescents.MethodsIn the study participated 126 non-referred children and adolescents, aged 10–18 years. TME was assessed by the Affect and Arousal Scale (AFARS). Anxiety symptoms were identified using the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders questionnaire (SCARED). This questionnaire reports five types of anxiety disorders: panic/somatic, generalized, separation, social, and school phobia. Finally, depressive symptoms were identified using the Short Mood and Feeling Questionnaire (SMFQ). Zero-order correlations between all measures were presented.ResultsPA negatively correlated with the depression scale only, −0.2 (p = 0.012), while NA significantly correlated with the depression and all anxiety scale, except the separation anxiety scale (p < 0.05). PH significantly correlated with the depression, panic-somatic and separation anxiety and school avoidance scale. The highest correlations were between the depression (0.39) and panic scale (0.33).ConclusionsThe results indicate that the relationships between TME and symptoms of anxiety and depression in children and adolescents could be partially supported. However, they are consistent with the previous findings that reported that low PA correlate with depression and PH with panic disorder (Chorpita, 2000; Jacques & Mash, 2004; De Bolle, 2010).

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