A multidimensional anxiety assessment of adolescents after Typhoon Morakot-associated mudslides.
The aims of this study were to examine the factor structure, reliability and validity of the Taiwanese version of the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC-T) in a group of adolescents in mountainous regions worst affected by Typhoon Morakot-associated mudslides. In total, 271 adolescents in grades 7-9 completed the MASC-T and the Chinese version of the Impact of Events Scale-Revised (C-IES-R). They also received a diagnostic interview to determine whether they had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We examined adequacy of the original four-factor structure of the MASC-T using confirmatory factor analysis, as well as its internal reliability, discriminant and predictive validities for PTSD, and convergent validity with the C-IES-R. Results support adequacy of the four-factor structure and internal reliability of the MASC-T in adolescents affected by Typhoon Morakot. Scores for the total MASC-T and subscales significantly discriminated adolescents with PTSD from those without PTSD. However, levels of predictive values for PTSD and the convergent validity with the C-IES-R differed among the MASC-T subscales and the total scale. The physical symptoms and harm avoidance subscales had the highest and lowest predictive accuracies for presence of PTSD, respectively. The MASC-T combined with diagnostic interviews for PTSD and self-report measures for assessing PTSD-specific symptoms can be used to evaluate a broad range of anxiety symptoms.
Yen
Cheng-Fang
CF
Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Tzyou 1st Rd, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.
Tang
Tze-Chun
TC
Yang
Pinchen
P
Chen
Cheng-Sheng
CS
Cheng
Chung-Ping
CP
Yang
Rei-Cheng
RC
Huang
Ming-Shyan
MS
Jong
Yuh-Jyh
YJ
Yu
Hsin-Su
HS
D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D019540:Area Under Curve; D002648:Child; D055867:Cyclonic Storms; D004190:Disasters; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan