Content Validity and Internal Consistency of the SCARED Scale as an Anxiety Screening Instrument for Children and Adolescents in Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30872/bnpt7f22Keywords:
SCARED scale, anxiety screening, psychometric properties, children and adolescents, content validity, IndonesiaAbstract
Early detection of anxiety among Indonesian children and adolescents is hampered by the limited psychometric evidence for screening instruments suited to this population. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Indonesian version of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) scale. A total of 283 participants aged 8–21 years completed the SCARED questionnaire through online and paper-based data collection. The evaluation included content validity using Aiken’s V coefficient, internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha, item discrimination using corrected item–total correlations, and descriptive analysis of anxiety levels based on age and gender. The results showed that the Indonesian SCARED demonstrated good content validity (Aiken’s V = 0.80–0.93) and excellent internal consistency for the total scale (α = 0.945). The subscales also showed acceptable to high reliability (α = 0.701–0.876), and 40 of 41 items met the item discrimination criteria (r ≥ 0.30). Anxiety levels were higher among female participants and mid-to-late adolescents. These findings indicate that the Indonesian version of SCARED has strong psychometric early screening of anxiety symptoms among Indonesian children and adolescents. The scale may support early identification and intervention in educational and mental health settings.
Deteksi dini kecemasan pada anak dan remaja di Indonesia terhambat oleh terbatasnya bukti psikometrik instrumen skrining yang sesuai bagi populasi ini. Studi ini bertujuan untuk mengevaluasi sifat psikometrik dari versi Indonesia dari skala Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). Sebanyak 283 partisipan berusia 8–21 tahun menyelesaikan kuesioner SCARED melalui pengumpulan data daring dan berbasis kertas. Evaluasi meliputi validitas isi menggunakan koefisien Aiken’s V, konsistensi internal menggunakan alpha Cronbach, diskriminasi item menggunakan korelasi item-total yang terkoreksi, dan analisis deskriptif tingkat kecemasan berdasarkan usia dan jenis kelamin. Hasil menunjukkan bahwa SCARED versi Indonesia menunjukkan validitas isi yang baik (Aiken’s V = 0,80–0,93) dan konsistensi internal yang sangat baik untuk skala total (α = 0,945). Subskala juga menunjukkan reliabilitas yang dapat diterima hingga tinggi (α = 0,701–0,876), dan 40 dari 41 item memenuhi kriteria diskriminasi item (r ≥ 0,30). Tingkat kecemasan lebih tinggi di antara peserta perempuan dan remaja pertengahan hingga akhir. Temuan ini menunjukkan bahwa versi Indonesia dari SCARED memiliki kemampuan psikometrik yang kuat dalam skrining awal gejala kecemasan di kalangan anak-anak dan remaja Indonesia. Skala ini dapat mendukung identifikasi dan intervensi dini dalam lingkungan pendidikan dan kesehatan mental.
References
Aiken, L. R. (1985). Three Coefficients for Analyzing the Reliability and Validity of Ratings. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 45(1), 131–142. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164485451012
Alexiou, E., Raftopoulou, G., & Karakasidou, E. (2026). Preliminary Psychometric Validation of the Greek Version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales for Youth (DASS-Y). Child Psychiatry & Human Development. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-026-02041-3
Ang, C.-S. (2020). Anxiety in Malaysian children and adolescents: validation of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 42(1), 7–15. https://doi.org/10.1590/2237-6089-2018-0109
Azwar, S. (2019). Reliabilitas dan Validitas Edisi 4. Pustaka Pelajar.
Beesdo, K., Knappe, S., & Pine, D. S. (2009). Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents: Developmental Issues and Implications for DSM-V. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 32(3), 483–524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2009.06.002
BIRMAHER, B., BRENT, D. A., CHIAPPETTA, L., BRIDGE, J., MONGA, S., & BAUGHER, M. (1999). Psychometric Properties of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED): A Replication Study. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 38(10), 1230–1236. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004583-199910000-00011
Birmaher, B., Khetarpal, S., Brent, D., Cully, M., Balach, L., Kaufman, J., & Neer, S. M. (1997). The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED): Scale Construction and Psychometric Characteristics. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 36(4), 545–553. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004583-199704000-00018
Chorpita, B. F., Yim, L., Moffitt, C., Umemoto, L. A., & Francis, S. E. (2000). Assessment of symptoms of DSM-IV anxiety and depression in children: a revised child anxiety and depression scale. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 38(8), 835–855. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(99)00130-8
Chrisnawati, G., & Aldino, T. (2019). Aplikasi Pengukuran Tingkat Kecemasan Berdasarkan Skala Hars Berbasis Android. Jurnal Khatulistiwa Informatika, 5(2), 277–282. https://doi.org/10.31294/jtk.v5i2.6312
Dewiasty, E., Agustina, R., Saldi, S. R. F., Pramudita, A., Hinssen, F., Kumaheri, M., de Groot, L. C. P. G. M., & Setiati, S. (2022). Malnutrition Prevalence and Nutrient Intakes of Indonesian Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.780003
Dickson, S. J., Oar, E. L., Kangas, M., Johnco, C. J., Lavell, C. H., Seaton, A. H., McLellan, L. F., Wuthrich, V. M., & Rapee, R. M. (2024). A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Impairment and Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents with Anxiety Disorders. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 27(2), 342–356. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-024-00484-5
Domschke, K., Seuling, P. D., Schiele, M. A., Bandelow, B., Batelaan, N. M., Bokma, W. A., Branchi, I., Broich, K., Burkauskas, J., Davies, S. J. C., Dell’Osso, B., Fagan, H., Fineberg, N. A., Furukawa, T. A., Hofmann, S. G., Hood, S., Huneke, N. T. M., Latas, M., Lidbetter, N., … Baldwin, D. S. (2024). The definition of treatment resistance in anxiety disorders: a Delphi method‐based consensus guideline. World Psychiatry, 23(1), 113–123. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.21177
Fernández-Martínez, I., & Muris, P. (2026). The Youth Anxiety Measure for DSM-5 (YAM-5): An Updated Systematic Review of its Psychometric Properties. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 57(2), 593–611. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-024-01712-3
Greenberger, D., & Padesky, C. A. (2016). Mind over mood second edition change how you fell by changing the way you think. The Guildford Press.
Hale, W. W., Crocetti, E., Raaijmakers, Q. A. W., & Meeus, W. H. J. (2011). A meta‐analysis of the cross‐cultural psychometric properties of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 52(1), 80–90. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2010.02285.x
Hickman, C., Marks, E., Pihkala, P., Clayton, S., Lewandowski, R. E., Mayall, E. E., Wray, B., Mellor, C., & van Susteren, L. (2021). Climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: a global survey. The Lancet Planetary Health, 5(12), e863–e873. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00278-3
Koch, L., Russo Riva, M. P., & Steinert, J. I. (2026). Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence Against Politically Active Women: A Systematic Review of Psychological and Political Consequences and Women’s Coping Behaviors. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 27(4), 1231–1250. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380251343185
Lailatul Muarofah Hanim, & Sa’adatul Ahlas. (2020). Orientasi Masa Depan dan Kecemasan Menghadapi Dunia Kerja pada Mahasiswa. Jurnal Penelitian Psikologi, 11(1), 41–48. https://doi.org/10.29080/jpp.v11i1.362
Li, X., Shek, D. T. L., & Zhang, X. (2025). The screen for child anxiety related emotional disorders scale: A longitudinal validation study based on Chinese children and adolescents. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 115, 103072. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2025.103072
Lian, J., Zuccolo, P. F., Ebrahimi, O. V., Fatori, D., Adlakha, A., De La Hoz, J. F., Lee, Y. H., Carneiro, A., Benseñor, I. M., Lotufo, P. A., Goulart, A. C., Tubbs, J. D., Watts, D., Zhou, Y., Dall’Aglio, L., Cudic, M., Kuenzi, M., Kessler, R. C., Patel, V., … Bauermeister, S. (2026). Harmonising Depression and Anxiety Measures Across International Cohorts: A Framework Validated Using Measurement Invariance. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 35(3). https://doi.org/10.1002/mpr.70102
Madsen, E. E., Hansen, T., Thomsen, S. D., Panduro, J., Ermidis, G., Krustrup, P., Randers, M. B., Larsen, C. H., Elbe, A., & Wikman, J. (2022). Can psychological characteristics, football experience, and player status predict state anxiety before important matches in Danish elite‐level female football players? Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 32(S1), 150–160. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13881
Maier, W., Buller, R., Philipp, M., & Heuser, I. (1988). The Hamilton Anxiety Scale: reliability, validity and sensitivity to change in anxiety and depressive disorders. Journal of Affective Disorders, 14(1), 61–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-0327(88)90072-9
Muris, P., Starmans, B., de Jonge, S., Meesters, C., & Roelofs, J. (2026). Three ‘driving forces’ behind the silence: Social anxiety, autism spectrum symptoms, and language difficulties as correlates of selective mutism in young children. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 35(5), 1165–1177. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-026-03282-5
Nareswari, S., & Pratiti, B. (2022). Uji validitas dan reliabilitas instrumen kecemasan anak (SCARED) pada siswa sekolah dasar kedungsari 5 Magelang. Universitas Gadjah Mada.
Prasetyo, A. E., Osmond, A. B., & Rumani. (2018). Aplikasi deteksi dini gangguan kecemasan pada anak-anak berbasis android. E-Proceeding of Engineering, 5(3), 6058–6065.
Runyon, K., Chesnut, S. R., & Burley, H. (2018). Screening for childhood anxiety: A meta-analysis of the screen for child anxiety related emotional disorders. Journal of Affective Disorders, 240, 220–229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.07.049
Santrock, J. (2012). Life span development: Perkembangan Masa Hidup Jilid I. Erlangga.
Streiner, D. L. (2003). Starting at the Beginning: An Introduction to Coefficient Alpha and Internal Consistency. Journal of Personality Assessment, 80(1), 99–103. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327752JPA8001_18
Syafii, H., & Azhari, H. (2026). Spiritual Intelligence and Metacognitive Development in Islamic Education Philosophy. Hierophany: Journal of Islamic Religious Education, 1(1), 61–79. https://doi.org/10.64850/hierophany.v1i1.219
Syafii, H., Azhari, H., & Alaldaya, R. (2026). Comparative Study of Conventional and Montessori Learning Methods on the Cognitive Development of Preschool Children. Journal of Early Childhood Education Perspectives, 2(1), 53–64. https://doi.org/10.64850/jecep.v2i1.173
Syafii, H., Rahmatullah, A. S., Husain Azhari, & Alaldaya, R. (2025). Research Collaboration Patterns and Knowledge Structure in Asian Islamic Educational Psychology A Bibliometric Assessment. DIMAR: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 7(1), 119–135. https://doi.org/10.58577/dimar.v7i1.526
Syafii, M. H., & Azhari, H. (2024). Manifestation of Patience as a Coping Mechanism in Islamic Psychology: A Comparative Analysis of Sociocultural Contexts of Indonesian and Egyptian Students. Psikoislamika : Jurnal Psikologi Dan Psikologi Islam, 21(2), 252–290. https://doi.org/10.18860/psikoislamika.v21i2.29006
Syafii, M. H., & Azhari, H. (2025a). Interaction Between Spiritual Development and Psychological Growth: Implications for Islamic Educational Psychology in Islamic Students. Journal of Islamic Education and Ethics, 3(1), 29–48. https://doi.org/10.18196/jiee.v3i1.69
Syafii, M. H., & Azhari, H. (2025b). Interaction Between Spiritual Development and Psychological Growth: Implications for Islamic Educational Psychology in Islamic Students. Journal of Islamic Education and Ethics, 3(1), 29–48. https://doi.org/10.18196/jiee.v3i1.69
Syafi’i, M. H., & Mulya, A. (2024). Literature Study on the Impact of Congregational Morning Prayer on Academic Anxiety: A View on Psychospiritual and Psychoneuroimmunology in Students. Journal of Islamic Communication and Counseling, 3(1), 72–90. https://doi.org/10.18196/jicc.v3i1.72
Syafii, M. H., Purnomo, H., & Alberto Valero Matas, J. (2024). The Relationship Between Nomophobia and Boredom Intolerance in the Use of Social Media among Generation Z Muslim Students. International Journal of Islamic Educational Psychology, 5(2), 309–321. https://doi.org/10.18196/ijiep.v5i2.23563
Syafii, M. H., Purnomo, H., Ramadhan, C. S., & Azhari, H. (2024). Predictive Factors of Academic Procrastination: A Cross-Cultural Comparison between Indonesian and Egyptian Students. Psikis : Jurnal Psikologi Islami, 10(2), 319–329. https://doi.org/10.19109/psikis.v10i2.24641
Taber, K. S. (2018). The use of Cronbach’s alpha when developing and reporting research instruments in science education. Research in Science Education, 48(6), 1273–1296
Wilmer, M. T., Anderson, K., & Reynolds, M. (2021). Correlates of Quality of Life in Anxiety Disorders: Review of Recent Research. Current Psychiatry Reports, 23(11), 77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-021-01290-4
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Psikostudia : Jurnal Psikologi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
