The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale for Children and Adolescents: An Initial Psychometric Investigation
Abstract
Objective To examine the psychometric properties of a newly developed clinician rating scale, the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale for Children and Adolescents (LSAS-CA). Method A total of 154 children and adolescents participated in an assessment consisting of a diagnostic interview, the LSAS-CA, and other measures of psychopathology and impairment. Sixty-one of these children also participated in a second LSAS-CA administration, by a different rater blind to diagnosis, within 7 days of the initial assessment. Results High internal consistency (alpha =.90-.97 for full sample and.83-.95 for social phobia group) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.89-0.94) were obtained for LSAS-CA total and subscale scores. LSAS-CA scores had stronger associations with measures of social anxiety and general impairment than with a measure of depression. Subjects with social anxiety disorder had significantly higher LSAS-CA scores than subjects with other anxiety disorders and healthy controls. A LSAS-CA cutoff score of 22.5 represented the best balance of sensitivity and specificity when distinguishing between individuals with social phobia and normal controls, whereas a cutoff of 29.5 was optimal for distinguishing social phobia from other anxiety disorders. Conclusion Initial findings suggest that the LSAS-CA is a reliable and valid instrument for the assessment of social anxiety disorder.
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The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale for Children and Adolescents has good internal consistency and convergent and divergent validity.
“Good internal consistency and convergent and divergent validity have been found (Masia-Warner et al. 2003).”
From Negative Flashforward Imagery in Adolescent Social Anxiety Disorder: A Pilot Study of Imagery Reports and a Short EMDR Intervention. (2024) · cites this paper as Masia-Warner et al. 2003
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“Initial evidence suggests that the LSAS is a reliable, valid, and treatment-sensitive measure of adult social phobia (Heimberg et al., 1999; Safren et al., 1999).”
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- Authors
- MASIA-WARNER, C., STORCH, E. A., PINCUS, D. B., KLEIN, R. G., HEIMBERG, R. G., & LIEBOWITZ, M. R.
- Affiliations
- Boston University (US)
- Venue
- Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2003-09
- Volume
- 42
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 1076-1084
- ISSN
- 0890-8567 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2092074358
- Cited by
- 169
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 6.65
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
- Keywords
- social anxiety disorder, children and adolescents, psychometric properties, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, diagnostic thresholds, sensitivity and specificity, anxiety disorders
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Child, Female, Humans, Male, Phobic Disorders, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Psychometrics, Sensitivity and Specificity, Reproducibility of Results, Observer Variation
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