Skip to main content
Search
Search
    Quick Search anywhere
    Quick search in Citations
Advanced Search
Skip main navigationClose Drawer MenuOpen Drawer Menu
Previous article
Next article
Brief Report

Factor Structure of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children in an Irish Adolescent Population

Published Online:June 28, 2017https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759/a000420

Abstract

Abstract. The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children (SPAI-C) is a 26-item, empirically derived, self-report measure, which assesses symptoms of social phobia based on DSM-IV criteria. Previous studies have examined the factor structure of the SPAI-C and suggested three-, four-, and five-factor models. However, differences in the underlying factor structures reported may be due to misuse of analytic methods or use of mixed samples, rather than meaningful differences in the underlying presentation of social anxiety. We tested all previously published factor structures in an Irish community-based adolescent sample. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and DSM-5 criteria supported the five-factor structure proposed by Aune, Stiles, and Svarva (2008) including Assertiveness, Physical/Cognitive Symptoms, Public Performance, Social Encounters, and Avoidance factors. Findings suggest that the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children (SPAI-C) is relevant to DSM-5 criteria for social anxiety disorder (SAD) and is appropriate for use with older adolescents outside of the USA.

References

  • American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders DSM-5® (5th ed.). Chicago, IL: American Psychiatric Publishing. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Aune, T., Stiles, T. C., & Svarva, K. (2008). Psychometric properties of the social phobia and anxiety inventory for children using a non-American population-based sample. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 22, 1075–1086. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2007.11.006 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Beidel, D. C., Turner, S. M., & Fink, C. M. (1996). Assessment of childhood social phobia: Construct, convergent, and discriminative validity of the social phobia and anxiety inventory for Children (SPA-C). Psychological Assessment, 8, 235–240. doi: 10.1037/1040-3590.8.3.235 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Beidel, D. C., Turner, S. M., & Morris, T. L. (1995). A new inventory to assess childhood social anxiety and phobia: The social phobia and anxiety inventory for children. Psychological Assessment, 7, 73–79. doi: 10.1037/1040-3590.7.1.73 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Beidel, D. C., Turner, S. M., & Morris, T. L. (1998, 2000). SPAI-C, Social Phobia & Anxiety Inventory for Children: Manual. New York, NY: Multi-Health Systems. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Bentler, P. M. (1990). Comparative fit indexes in structural models. Psychological Bulletin, 107, 238–246.Medline: 2320703 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Butler, G. (2009). Overcoming social anxiety and shyness: A self-help guide using cognitive behavioral techniques. London, UK: Constable & Robinson. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Byrne, B. M. (1998). Structural equation modeling with LISREL, PRELIS, and SIMPLIS: Basic concepts, applications, and programming. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Cederlund, R., & Öst, L. (2013). Psychometric properties of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory–Child version in a Swedish clinical sample. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 27, 503–511. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2013.06.004 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Gauer, G. J. C., Picon, P., Vasconcellos, S. J. L., Turner, S. M., & Beidel, D. C. (2005). Validation of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children (SPAI-C) in a sample of Brazilian children. Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, 38, 795–800. doi: 10.1590/S0100-879X2005000500019 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6, 1–55. doi: 10.1080/10705519909540118 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Jöreskog, K. G., & Sörbom, D. (2006). LISREL 8 (version 8.8). Chicago, IL: Scientific Software. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Kuusikko, S., Pollock-Wurman, R., Ebeling, H., Hurtig, T., Joskitt, L., Mattila, M., … Moilanen, I. (2009). Psychometric evaluation of social phobia and anxiety inventory for children (SPAI-C) and social anxiety scale for children-revised (SASC-R). European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 18, 116–124. doi: 10.1007/s00787-008-0712-x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Merikangas, K. R., He, J. P., Burstein, M., Swanson, S. A., Avenevoli, S., Cui, L., … Swendsen, J. (2010). Lifetime prevalence of mental disorders in U.S. adolescents: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication – Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A). Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 49, 980–989. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2010.05.017 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Morrison, A. S., & Heimberg, R. G. (2013). Social anxiety and social anxiety disorder. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 9, 249–274. doi: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050212-185631 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Ogliari, A., Scaini, S., Kofler, M. J., Lampis, V., Zanoni, A., Pesenti-Gritti, P., … Beidel, D. C. (2012). Psychometric properties of the social phobia and anxiety inventory for children (SPAI-C) in a sample of Italian school-aged children from the general population. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 28, 51–59. doi: 10.1027/1015-5759/a000090 First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar

  • Olivares, J., Sánchez-Garcia, R., López-Pina, J. A., & Rosa-Alcázar, A. I. (2010). Psychometric properties of the social phobia and anxiety inventory for children in a Spanish sample. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 13, 961–969. Medline: 20977043 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Raykov, T. (2004). Behavioral scale reliability and measurement invariance evaluation using latent variable modeling. Behavior Therapy, 35, 299–331. doi: 10.1016/S0005-7894(04)80041-8 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Steiger, J. H. (1990). Structural model evaluation and modification: An interval estimation approach. Multivariate Behavioural Research, 25, 173–180. doi: 10.1207/s15327906mbr2502_4 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Storch, E. A., Masia-Warner, C., Dent, H. C., Roberti, J. W., & Fisher, P. H. (2004). Psychometric evaluation of the social anxiety scale for adolescents and the social phobia and anxiety inventory for children: Construct validity and normative data. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 18, 665–679. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2003.09.002 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Turner, S. M., Beidel, D. C., Dancu, C. V., & Stanley, M. A. (1989). An empirically derived inventory to measure social fears and anxiety: The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory. Psychological Assessment: A Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1, 35–40. doi: 10.1037/1040-3590.1.1.35 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar