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Clinical Trial
. 2003 Sep;42(9):1076-84.
doi: 10.1097/01.CHI.0000070249.24125.89.

The Liebowitz social anxiety scale for children and adolescents: an initial psychometric investigation

Carrie Masia-Warner  1 , Eric A Storch, Donna B Pincus, Rachel G Klein, Richard G Heimberg, Michael R Liebowitz
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

The Liebowitz social anxiety scale for children and adolescents: an initial psychometric investigation

Carrie Masia-Warner et al. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2003 Sep.

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 (alpha =.90-.97 for full sample and.83-.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.

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