Willemijn van Gastel1, Robert F Ferdinand. 1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. willemijnvangastel@orange.nl
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC) is a widely used self-report questionnaire for the assessment of anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents. METHODS: This study used receiver operating characteristic analyses to investigate the predictive value of the MASC total and scale scores for DSM-IV anxiety diagnoses in a referred sample. Eight- to 18-year-olds (n=212) were assessed with the MASC and Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for Children (ADIS-C). RESULTS: The MASC total score did not exceed the threshold for being judged as fair in predicting any ADIS-C/DSM-IV anxiety diagnosis. The Separation Anxiety scale and the Physical Symptoms scale predicted Panic Disorder (PAD) and Agoraphobia fairly accurately. The Social Anxiety scale predicted Social Phobia, and the Separation Anxiety scale predicted PAD to a moderate degree. The MASC scale Harm Avoidance did not predict any ADIS-C/DSM-IV diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the MASC may not be a valid screening instrument for DSM-IV diagnoses.
BACKGROUND: The Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC) is a widely used self-report questionnaire for the assessment of anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents. METHODS: This study used receiver operating characteristic analyses to investigate the predictive value of the MASC total and scale scores for DSM-IV anxiety diagnoses in a referred sample. Eight- to 18-year-olds (n=212) were assessed with the MASC and Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for Children (ADIS-C). RESULTS: The MASC total score did not exceed the threshold for being judged as fair in predicting any ADIS-C/DSM-IV anxiety diagnosis. The Separation Anxiety scale and the Physical Symptoms scale predicted Panic Disorder (PAD) and Agoraphobia fairly accurately. The Social Anxiety scale predicted Social Phobia, and the Separation Anxiety scale predicted PAD to a moderate degree. The MASC scale Harm Avoidance did not predict any ADIS-C/DSM-IV diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the MASC may not be a valid screening instrument for DSM-IV diagnoses.
Authors: Michelle Rozenman; Tara Peris; R Lindsey Bergman; Susanna Chang; Joseph O'Neill; James T McCracken; John Piacentini Journal: Child Psychiatry Hum Dev Date: 2017-02
Authors: Jose R Suarez-Lopez; Naomi Hood; José Suárez-Torres; Sheila Gahagan; Megan R Gunnar; Dolores López-Paredes Journal: Int J Hyg Environ Health Date: 2019-06-13 Impact factor: 5.840
Authors: Chiaying Wei; Alexandra Hoff; Marianne A Villabø; Jeremy Peterman; Philip C Kendall; John Piacentini; James McCracken; John T Walkup; Anne Marie Albano; Moira Rynn; Joel Sherrill; Dara Sakolsky; Boris Birmaher; Golda Ginsburg; Courtney Keeton; Elizabeth Gosch; Scott N Compton; John March Journal: J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol Date: 2013-07-11
Authors: Jose R Suarez-Lopez; Andrew Nguyen; Joel Klas; Sheila Gahagan; Harvey Checkoway; Dolores Lopez-Paredes; Madison Noble Journal: Expo Health Date: 2020-05-21 Impact factor: 11.422