Psychometric properties and factor structure of the Korean version of the screen for child anxiety related emotional disorders (SCARED)

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Korean version of Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) on a sample of Korean youths and to examine the cross-cultural differences in adolescents’ anxiety. METHODS: Our study included 147 adolescents (ages 12–17, 92 girls), 93 with major depressive disorder and 54 as controls. Participants were evaluated using the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL), SCARED, Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Disruptive Behavioral Disorder Scale (DBD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale (ADHD-RS). Pearson’s r and Cronbach’s α values of the SCARED were calculated, and exploratory factor analysis was conducted. RESULTS: The Korean SCARED scores were correlated with the total anxiety scores of K-SADS-PL (r = 0.74) and the CBCL anxious/depressed subscale scores (r = 0.35). Results showed a five-factor structure with good internal consistency, in which some items were loaded on different factors compared to previous studies. CONCLUSIONS: The Korean SCARED demonstrated promising psychometric properties, and could be a valid scale for screening anxiety symptoms in primary care. The fact that different items comprised the factors may reflect the cultural difference between United States and Korea in experiencing anxiety.