The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale for Children and Adolescents: An Initial Psychometric Investigation
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2003
Abstract
Objective: To examine the psychometric properties of a newly developed clinician rating scale, the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale for Children and Adolescents (LSAS-CA), Method: A total of 154 children and adolescents participated in an assessment consisting of a diagnostic interview, the LSAS-CA, and other measures of psychopathology and impairment. Sixty-one of these children also participated in a second LSAS-CA administration, by a different rater blind to diagnosis, within 7 days of the initial assessment. Results: High internal consistency (α = .90-.97 for full sample and .S3-.95 for social phobia group) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.89-0.94) were obtained for LSAS-CA total and subscale scores. LSAS-CA scores had stronger associations with measures of social anxiety and general impairment than with a measure of depression. Subjects with social anxiety disorder had significantly higher LSAS-CA scores than subjects with other anxiety disorders and healthy controls. A LSAS-CA cutoff score of 22.5 represented the best balance of sensitivity and specificity when distinguishing between individuals with social phobia and normal controls, whereas a cutoff of 29.5 was optimal for distinguishing social phobia from other anxiety disorders. Conclusion: Initial findings suggest that the LSAS-CA is a reliable and valid instrument for the assessment of social anxiety disorder.
DOI
10.1097/01.CHI.0000070249.24125.89
MSU Digital Commons Citation
Masia, Carrie; Storch, Eric A.; Pincus, Donna B.; Klein, Rachel G.; Heimberg, Richard G.; and Liebowitz, Michael R., "The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale for Children and Adolescents: An Initial Psychometric Investigation" (2003). Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works. 514.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/psychology-facpubs/514