SCARED-P: Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders, Parent Version
The SCARED-P (Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders, Parent Version) is a 41-item parent-report questionnaire that screens for anxiety disorder symptoms in children and adolescents as observed by caregivers. It parallels the child self-report SCARED, and the two are used together for multi-informant anxiety assessment.
For professional reference, research, and education only. Not for diagnosis or medical advice.
SCARED-P Score Interpreter
SCARED-P Score Calculator
Enter each of the 41 items (0–2) to total them; the range shows below. Items are numbered, not reproduced: enter them from the form in front of you.
0 of 41 items entered — 41 still blank. The total can only rise, so treat the range as provisional.
Each item scores 0–2.
Enter a total score to see its range.
41 items rated 0–2 by a parent or caregiver; total 0–82. Subscale scores can show which type of anxiety is most prominent.
Total score Interpretation 25+ At or above cutoff (≥25)Possible anxiety disorder; a full clinical evaluation is recommended. 0–24 Below cutoff (<25)Below the conventional screening threshold. Does not rule out an anxiety disorder; consider the child's own report. Birmaher B et al. (1997, 1999). J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. Conventional total-score cutoff of 25 or greater (see also Trafalis et al., 2021).
The SCARED-P (Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders, Parent Version) is a 41-item parent-report questionnaire that screens for anxiety disorder symptoms in children and adolescents, scored 0 to 82 [2].
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 [1] and the 41-item version was replicated in 1999 [2].
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 behaviours, physical complaints, reassurance seeking) that children may minimize or lack awareness of, while child self-report better captures subjective distress and internal symptoms.
What does the SCARED-P measure?
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 | 8 | Separation Anxiety Disorder |
| Social Anxiety | 7 | Social Anxiety Disorder |
| School Avoidance | 4 | School Refusal |
Item counts per subscale follow a 2024 validation study [3].
How do you give the SCARED-P?
A parent or caregiver completes the SCARED-P, rating each of the 41 items for how true it has been of the child over the past 3 months.
It is designed to be given alongside the child self-report SCARED so the two informants can be compared. 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
How do you score and interpret the SCARED-P?
The 41 item ratings are summed for a total score from 0 to 82.
Recommended cutoff: a total of 25 or higher is the conventional screening threshold [5]. Use the score interpreter above to check a total against it.
| Score | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| <25 | Below clinical threshold |
| ≥25 | Possible anxiety disorder; further evaluation recommended |
Subscale scores show which type of anxiety is most prominent. Scores just under the cutoff can still matter: in children with chronic pain, a subthreshold range of 13 to 24 also identified children whose anxiety needed attention [5].
Multi-informant interpretation
Parent and child scores frequently diverge; parent-child agreement was moderate in the development study [1]. Points to keep in mind:
- When both parent and child scores exceed cutoffs, an anxiety disorder is more likely
- 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
- Development [1]: In 341 outpatient children and adolescents and 300 parents, both the child and parent SCARED yielded five factors, with good internal consistency (alpha .74 to .93), test-retest reliability (ICC .70 to .90), discriminative validity, and moderate parent-child agreement (r = .20 to .47).
- Replication [2]: In a new sample of 190 outpatient youth and 166 parents, the 41-item version showed five factors (panic/somatic, generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, social phobia, school phobia), with good internal consistency and discriminant validity for the total and factor scores of both the child and parent forms.
- Early childhood [3]: In parents of 233 children aged mainly 4–7, internal consistency was good to excellent (total alpha .94, subscales .68–.89) with good construct validity, though support for the five-factor model was mixed.
- Thailand [4]: In 108 clinic-attending youth aged 9–16 and their parents, the parent form had a Cronbach's alpha of 0.925; at an optimal cut-off of 23 it had a sensitivity of 0.74 and a specificity of 0.67.
Limitations
- Screening, not diagnosis. An elevated score indicates that a full diagnostic evaluation is warranted; it does not establish an anxiety disorder.
- Informant perspective. Parent ratings capture observable signs and can be influenced by the parent's own anxiety; parent and child reports often diverge.
- Cutoffs vary by sample. Optimal thresholds differ across settings and languages (for example, 23 in a Thai clinical sample).
- Younger children. The SCARED-P was developed for middle childhood and adolescence; evidence in children aged 4–7 is promising but preliminary.
How is the SCARED-P used in practice?
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, alongside the child SCARED
- Treatment monitoring: the SCARED responds to behavioural intervention [5], so repeat it during therapy such as CBT
- Early childhood assessment: initial support in children aged 4–7, where self-report is limited [3]
For individuals: This page is a clinical reference, not a diagnostic tool. If you have concerns about your own symptoms, bring this information to a qualified mental health professional.
Related
Billing
In the US, the SCARED-P: Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders, Parent Version is usually billed under these CPT codes. Payer rules vary.
Assessments
- Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) Scoring & Interpretation
- DSM-5-TR Self-Rated Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure, Adult
- GAD-7 Scoring and Interpretation
- BDI-II Scoring Guide · Beck Depression Inventory
- CES-D: Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale
- CES-DC Scoring · Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for Children
Dot size shows how strongly each scale's condition is linked to this one in HiBoop's co-occurrence map.
FAQ
What does a SCARED-P score of 25 or higher indicate?
A total score of 25 or above on the parent version is the conventional screening threshold, indicating a possible anxiety disorder that warrants further clinical evaluation. 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 tool, 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.
References
- 1.Birmaher B, Khetarpal S, Brent D, Cully M, Balach L, Kaufman J, Neer SM. The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED): scale construction and psychometric characteristics. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1997;36(4):545-553.
- 2.Birmaher B, Brent DA, Chiappetta L, Bridge J, Monga S, Baugher M. Psychometric properties of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED): a replication study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1999;38(10):1230-1236.
- 3.Scoberg B, Hobson C, van Goozen S. Psychometric Properties and Validity of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders: Parent Version (SCARED-P) in an Early Childhood Sample. Assessment. 2024;31(7):1442-1451.
- 4.Tangjittiporn T, Sottimanon A, Ularntinon S. Psychometric properties of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders Thai version. Pediatr Int. 2022;64(1):e15093.
- 5.Trafalis S, Giannini C, Joves J, Portera S, Toyama H, Mehta A, Basile K, Friedberg RD. A pediatrician-friendly review of three common behavioral health screeners in pediatric practice: Findings and recommendations. Pediatr Investig. 2021;5(1):58-64.