SCARED-P: Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders – Parent Version
A 41-item parent-report version of the SCARED that assesses anxiety disorder symptoms in children and adolescents as observed by caregivers. Parallel to the child self-report SCARED; used together for multi-informant anxiety assessment.
About the SCARED-P
The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders – Parent Version (SCARED-P) is the caregiver-completed companion to the child self-report SCARED. Developed by Boris Birmaher and colleagues at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, both versions were published together in 1997 and revised in 1999.
The SCARED-P enables multi-informant assessment of childhood anxiety, a clinically important feature given that children and parents frequently differ in their reports of anxiety symptoms. Parent-report measures capture externally observable indicators of anxiety (avoidance behaviors, physical complaints, reassurance seeking) that children may minimize or lack awareness of, while child self-report better captures subjective distress and internal symptoms.
What the SCARED-P Measures
The SCARED-P contains 41 items parallel to the child SCARED, assessing five anxiety disorder subscales as defined in DSM-IV (and broadly applicable to DSM-5-TR criteria):
| Subscale | Items | Corresponding Disorder |
|---|---|---|
| Somatic/Panic | 13 | Panic Disorder / Somatic Anxiety |
| Generalized Anxiety | 9 | Generalized Anxiety Disorder |
| Separation Anxiety | 9 | Separation Anxiety Disorder |
| Social Anxiety | 7 | Social Anxiety Disorder |
| School Avoidance | 3 | School Refusal |
Items are rated on a 0–2 scale:
- 0, Not true or hardly ever true
- 1, Somewhat true or sometimes true
- 2, Very true or often true
Scoring
Total score range: 0–82
Recommended cutoffs (Birmaher et al., 1997, 1999):
| Score | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| <25 | Below clinical threshold |
| ≥25 | Possible anxiety disorder; further evaluation recommended |
Subscale cutoffs (combined child + parent version literature):
- Panic/Somatic: ≥7
- Generalized Anxiety: ≥9
- Separation Anxiety: ≥5
- Social Anxiety: ≥8
- School Avoidance: ≥3
Multi-Informant Interpretation
Parent and child scores frequently diverge. Clinical guidelines recommend:
- When both parent and child scores exceed cutoffs, probability of an anxiety disorder diagnosis is higher
- Discrepancies may reflect different domains of symptom expression rather than measurement error
- Parent over-endorsement may indicate parental anxiety affecting perception; child under-endorsement may reflect poor insight or shame
- Combined interpretation is more informative than either source alone
Psychometric Properties
The SCARED-P demonstrates strong psychometric properties:
- Good internal consistency (Cronbach's α ≈ 0.82–0.90 for total score)
- Five-factor structure confirmed across cultures
- Moderate parent-child agreement (r ≈ 0.20–0.40), consistent with multi-informant literature
- Discriminant validity: differentiates anxiety disorders from depression and ADHD
- Validated in early childhood samples (Scoberg et al., 2024) and cross-culturally (Tangjittiporn et al., 2022)
Clinical Applications
The SCARED-P is used for:
- Initial anxiety screening when child self-report is limited by age, cognitive ability, or motivation
- Multi-informant assessment as part of a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation
- Treatment monitoring: Parent-report sensitive to behavioural change over the course of therapy
- Early childhood assessment: Particularly valuable for children under 8 where self-report validity is limited
References
- Birmaher B, Khetarpal S, Brent D, et al. (1997). The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED): Scale construction and psychometric characteristics. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36(4), 545–553.
- Birmaher B, Brent DA, Chiappetta L, et al. (1999). Psychometric properties of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED): A replication study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 38(10), 1230–1236.
- Scoberg B, Hobson C, van Goozen S. (2024). Psychometric Properties and Validity of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders: Parent Version (SCARED-P) in an Early Childhood Sample. Assessment, 31(7), 1596–1606. PMID: 38258550
- Tangjittiporn T, Sottimanon A, Ularntinon S. (2022). Psychometric properties of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders Thai version. Pediatrics International, 64(1), e15177. PMID: 34897896
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a SCARED-P score of 25 or higher indicate?
A total score of 25 or above on the parent version is the recommended screening threshold, indicating a possible anxiety disorder that warrants further clinical evaluation. This cutoff was established in the original 1997 Birmaher validation study and replicated in 1999. Scores at or above this threshold do not confirm a diagnosis on their own.
Is the SCARED-P completed by the parent or the child?
The SCARED-P is a parent-report measure completed by a caregiver, not the child. It is designed to run in parallel with the child self-report SCARED, enabling multi-informant assessment. Using both versions together provides a more complete picture of the child's anxiety across settings.
Can the SCARED-P be used to diagnose anxiety disorders?
No. The SCARED-P is a screening instrument, not a diagnostic tool. Elevated scores indicate that anxiety may be clinically significant and should prompt a full diagnostic evaluation by a qualified clinician. Diagnosis requires a comprehensive clinical interview and cannot be established by a questionnaire alone.
How is the SCARED-P scored?
Each of the 41 items is rated on a 0–2 scale: 0 (not true or hardly ever true), 1 (somewhat true or sometimes true), and 2 (very true or often true). All items are summed to produce a total score ranging from 0 to 82. Subscale scores can also be calculated to identify which type of anxiety — such as separation anxiety, social anxiety, or generalized anxiety — is most prominent.
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