Psychometric characteristics of the Brazilian Portuguese version of Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children (SPAI-C)

Abstract

Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) in children can result in immediate and long-term impairment, including aspects of daily functioning and achievement of future social/professional development. The use of Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children (SPAI-C) has been used for the assessment of social anxiety disorder in children, but mainly in North-American populations. The current study revises the results of the previous validity studies for the Brazilian Portuguese language version of the SPAI-C and two novel aspects: sensitivity to treatment changes and discriminate validity. The results indicate that the SPAI-C Brazilian Portuguese version is a reliable and valid measure of social anxiety for Brazilian children.