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 alpha 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.