Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
https://trends.org.br/article/doi/10.1590/2237-6089-2015-0027
Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
Original Article

DSM-IV-defined anxiety disorder symptoms in a middle-childhood-aged group of Malaysian children using the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale

Sintomas de transtorno de ansiedade definidos conforme o DSM-IV em um grupo de crianças malaias na terceira infância segundo a Escala de Ansiedade Infantil de Spence

Atefeh Ahmadi; Mohamed Sharif Mustaffa; Amirmudin Udin; AliAkbar Haghdoost

http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/2237-6089-2015-0027 Trends Psychiatry Psychother, vol.38, n1, p.14-22, 2016
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Abstract

Introduction Pediatric anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders in the middle-childhood age group. The purpose of this study is to assess anxiety disorder symptoms, as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV), in a large community sample of low socioeconomic level rural children and to investigate some of the psychometric properties (internal consistency, construct and convergent validity and items rated as often or always experienced) of the Malay version of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale - Child version (SCAS-C). Method Six hundred children aged 9-11 and 424 of their parents completely answered the child or parent versions of the SCAS. Results Results indicated that the internal reliability of subscales were moderate to adequate. Significant correlations between child and parent reports supported the measure's concurrent validity. Additionally, anxiety levels in this Malaysian sample were lower than among South-African children and higher than among their Western peers. There were both similarities and differences between symptom items reported as often or always experienced by Malaysian students and by children from other cultures. Confirmatory factor analysis provided evidence of the existence of five inter-correlated factors for anxiety disorders based on SCAS-C. Conclusion Although some of the instrument's psychometric properties deviated from those observed in some other countries, it nevertheless appears to be useful for assessing childhood anxiety symptoms in this country.

Keywords

Spence Children's Anxiety Scale, anxiety, children, Malay version

Resumo

Introdução Transtornos de ansiedade são a doença de saúde mental mais comum em crianças na terceira infância. O objetivo deste estudo foi examinar sintomas de transtorno de ansiedade conforme definidos na 4ª edição do Manual Diagnóstico e Estatístico de Transtornos Mentais (DSM-IV) em uma grande amostra comunitária de crianças de baixo nível socioeconômico vivendo em zona rural na Malásia e investigar as propriedades psicométricas (consistência interna, construto, validade convergente e frequência de respostas muitas vezes e sempre) da versão malaia da Escala de Ansiedade Infantil de Spence - Versão para Crianças. Método Um total de 600 crianças com idade entre 9 e 11 anos e 424 pais responderam todas as questões das versões da escala para crianças e para pais. Resultados Os resultados indicaram que a confiabilidade interna das subescalas variou de moderada a suficiente. Correlações significativas entre os relatos das crianças e de seus pais reforçaram a validade convergente do instrumento. O nível de ansiedade observado na amostra de crianças malaias foi menor do o nível relatado para crianças na África do Sul e maior do que em crianças de países ocidentais. A frequência das respostas escolhidas pelos estudantes malaios demonstrou algumas similaridades e diferenças em relação a outras culturas. A análise fatorial confirmatória revelou evidência da presença de cinco fatores inter-relacionados para transtorno de ansiedade com base na escala avaliada. Conclusão Embora algumas propriedades psicométricas do instrumento avaliado tenham desviado dos resultados obtidos em outros países, a escala parece útil para avaliar sintomas de ansiedade na infância na Malásia.

Palavras-chave

Escala de Ansiedade Infantil de Spence, ansiedade, crianças, versão malaia

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