AIM: The aim of the current study was to study the psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN-J) among Japanese subjects with social anxiety disorder (SAD). METHOD: The sample consisted of 86 subjects with SAD and 86 controls. Diagnosis was based on a modified version of the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV. In addition to the SPIN-J, clinician-administered and self-rating scales, including the Japanese versions of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, the Social Phobia Scale, and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, were used. RESULTS: The SPIN-J showed adequate internal consistency (0.82-0.96) for the total and subscales. Correlations between the SPIN-J and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, the Social Phobia Scale, and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale ranged from 0.83 to 0.89 and indicated adequate concurrent validity. A cut-off point of 22 between subjects with SAD and controls showed a sensitivity of 96.5% and specificity of 87.2%, indicating robust discriminant validity. CONCLUSION: The SPIN-J showed adequate reliability and validity for use as a screening tool for social anxiety disorder in Japanese clinical settings.
AIM: The aim of the current study was to study the psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN-J) among Japanese subjects with social anxiety disorder (SAD). METHOD: The sample consisted of 86 subjects with SAD and 86 controls. Diagnosis was based on a modified version of the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV. In addition to the SPIN-J, clinician-administered and self-rating scales, including the Japanese versions of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, the Social Phobia Scale, and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, were used. RESULTS: The SPIN-J showed adequate internal consistency (0.82-0.96) for the total and subscales. Correlations between the SPIN-J and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, the Social Phobia Scale, and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale ranged from 0.83 to 0.89 and indicated adequate concurrent validity. A cut-off point of 22 between subjects with SAD and controls showed a sensitivity of 96.5% and specificity of 87.2%, indicating robust discriminant validity. CONCLUSION: The SPIN-J showed adequate reliability and validity for use as a screening tool for social anxiety disorder in Japanese clinical settings.