Psychometric properties of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) in Brazilian children and adolescents

The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) in a large community sample of Brazilian children and adolescents. A total of 2410 students completed the 41-item Brazilian-Portuguese version of the SCARED. The one-factor and the five-factor structure of the SCARED fit this sample well. However, the five-factor model had a significantly better fit than the one-factor model and an adequate fit for age and gender subgroups. Anxiety symptoms in Brazilian youth were reported at a moderate-high level as compared to other studies. Females were found to score significantly higher on the total score and on all of the subscales as compared to the males. The total score and each of the five factors for both children and adolescents showed good internal consistency, test–retest and construct validity. According to our findings the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the SCARED is a reliable and valid instrument to assess anxiety in Brazilian children and adolescents.

► We assess the psychometric properties of the SCARED in a sample of Brazilian children and adolescents.
► A sample of 2537 Brazilian students aged 9–18 years, from 6 schools.
► SCARED has appropriate psychometric properties.
► Useful and reliable instrument to assess anxiety symptoms in Brazilian youth.