Assessment of anxiety in children with neurodevelopment disorders

Rasch analysis of the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale

Bibliographic Data

ID15528676
AuthorsAlana Sparks (Indoc Research, corresponding author), Susan Gilbert Evans (Indoc Research), Mojib Javadi (Indoc Research), Bianca Lasalandra (Indoc Research), E J Martens (Indoc Research), Emily Martens, Raadhika Venkatesh (Indoc Research), Izzy T Vaccarino (Indoc Research), Anthony L Vaccarino (0000-0002-3296-5507, Indoc Research)
Year2024
Volume15
Pages1240357-1240357
Publication date2024-04-29
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Psychiatry (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1664-0640 • E-ISSN: 1664-0640
PublisherFrontiers Media (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1240357
PMID38742131
OpenAlexW4396238084
LanguageEN
References cited40

Anxiety is common in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). The parent version of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS-P) is a widely used measure to assess anxiety across a broad range of childhood populations. However, assessment of the measurement properties of the SCAS-P in NDDs have been limited. The present study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the SCAS-P in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using Rasch Measurement Theory. Data from the Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Disorders Network Registry were used in the analysis. Children (ages 6-13 years old) with a primary diagnosis of ADHD (n=146) or ASD (n=104) were administered the SCAS-P. Rasch Measurement Theory was used to assess measurement properties of the SCAS-P, including unidimensionality and item-level fit, category ordering, item targeting, person separation index and reliability and differential item functioning. The SCAS-P fit well to the Rasch model in both ADHD and ASD, including unidimensionality, satisfactory category ordering and goodness-of-fit. However, item-person measures showed poor precision at lower levels of anxiety. Some items showed differential item functioning, including items within the obsessive-compulsive, panic/agoraphobia and physical injury fears domains, suggesting that the presentation of anxiety may differ between ADHD and ASD. Overall, the results generally support the use of the SCAS-P to screen and monitor anxiety symptoms in children with ADHD and ASD. Future studies would benefit from examination of more severely anxious NDD cohort, including those with clinically diagnosed anxiety

Anxiety · Developmental psychology · Differential item functioning · Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale · Item response theory · Panic disorder · Psychiatry · Psychometrics · Rasch model · Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder · Autism Spectrum Disorder Research · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Clinical Psychology · Psychology

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