Psychometric properties of the Child Anxiety Life Interference Scale - Preschool Version

Tamsyn J Gilbertson; Amy J Morgan; Ronald M Rapee; Heidi J Lyneham; Jordana K Bayer

doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2017.10.002

Psychometric properties of the Child Anxiety Life Interference Scale - Preschool Version

J Anxiety Disord. 2017 Dec:52:62-71. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2017.10.002. Epub 2017 Oct 13.

Authors

Tamsyn J Gilbertson¹, Amy J Morgan², Ronald M Rapee³, Heidi J Lyneham⁴, Jordana K Bayer⁵

Affiliations

¹ Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: tamsyn.gilbertson@gmail.com.
² Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: ajmorgan@unimelb.edu.au.
³ Centre for Emotional Health, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: ron.rapee@mq.edu.au.
⁴ Centre for Emotional Health, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: heidi.lyneham@mq.edu.au.
⁵ Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: J.Bayer@latrobe.edu.au.

PMID: 29053989
DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2017.10.002

Abstract

Despite growing recognition of childhood anxiety as a common and often debilitating clinical concern, we have limited knowledge of the particular ways in which anxiety interferes with daily life for young children who have not yet entered formal schooling. The present study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Child Anxiety Life Interference Scale - Preschool Version (CALIS-PV). The CALIS-PV is a brief (18 item) parent-report measure of the impacts of a young child's anxiety on their own life and that of her or his parent. Participants were 784 parents of a child aged 3-7 years, who completed the CALIS-PV as a part of the follow-up assessment battery for two anxiety prevention trials targeted at preschool children with temperamental inhibition. Confirmatory factor analysis supported three CALIS-PV factors reflecting anxiety-related life interference at home, outside home and on parent life. The three factors showed good internal consistency and good convergent and divergent validity, and successfully differentiated children with and without an anxiety diagnosis. Findings provide initial support for the CALIS-PV as a reliable and valid measure of the daily life impacts of childhood anxiety for preschool-aged children and their parents.

Keywords: Assessment; Child anxiety; Life interference; Preschool; Quality of life.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

Anxiety Disorders / diagnosis*
Anxiety Disorders / psychology
Child
Child, Preschool
Factor Analysis, Statistical
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Male
Parents / psychology
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales*
Psychometrics
Quality of Life
Reproducibility of Results