title: The discrimination of children's phobias using the Revised Fear Survey Schedule for children.
abstract: The discriminant validity of children's and parents' ratings of the child's fear on the Revised Fear Survey Schedule for Children (FSSC-R; Ollendick, 1983) was examined using a clinic sample of children who met DSM criteria for phobic disorders (N = 120). Discriminant function analyses and item analyses were conducted to determine if children meeting diagnostic criteria for a primary disorder of social phobia, simple phobia of the dark/sleeping alone, simple phobia of animals, or a simple phobia of shots/doctors could be differentiated on the basis of FSSC-R subscale scores and items. Results of the discriminant function analyses indicated that the child-completed as well as the parent-completed FSSC-Rs were similarly useful in differentiating the specific types of phobias. Results of the item analyses indicated that child-completed FSSC-R items could discriminate among the different simple phobias but not social phobia and that parent-completed FSSC-R items could discriminate not only the different simple phobias but also social phobia. Results are discussed in terms of the utility of the FSSC-R in the assessment of clinically significant fears in children with phobic disorders and the relative utility of child and parent ratings in the assessment of childhood fears.
authors.affiliation: Child and Family Psychosocial Research Center, Florida International University, Miami 33199, USA.
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Weems
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Silverman
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Saavedra
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Pina
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Lumpkin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D010290:Parents; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012650:Self Disclosure