title: Cross-cultural measurement invariance of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale across 11 world-wide societies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In order to compare estimates by one assessment scale across various cultures/ethnic groups, an important aspect that needs to be demonstrated is that its construct across these groups is invariant when measured using a similar and simultaneous approach (i.e., demonstrated cross-cultural measurement invariance). One of the methods for evaluating measurement invariance is testing for differential item functioning (DIF), which assesses whether different groups respond differently to particular items. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) in societies with different socioeconomic, cultural, and religious backgrounds.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was organised by the International Child Mental Health Study Group. Self-reported data were collected from adolescents residing in 11 countries: Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Indonesia, Montenegro, Nigeria, Palestinian Territories, the Philippines, Portugal, Romania and Serbia. The multiple-indicators multiple-causes model was used to test the RCADS items for DIF across the countries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten items exhibited DIF considering all cross-country comparisons. Only one or two items were flagged with DIF in the head-to-head comparisons, while there were three to five items flagged with DIF, when one country was compared with the others. Even with all cross-culturally non-invariant items removed from nine language versions tested, the original factor model representing six anxiety and depressive symptoms subscales was not significantly violated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is clear evidence that relatively small number of the RCADS items is non-invariant, especially when comparing two different cultural/ethnic groups, which indicates on its sound cross-cultural validity and suitability for cross-cultural comparisons in adolescent anxiety and depressive symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Neurology and Psychiatry for Children and Youth,Belgrade,Serbia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stevanovic
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics,Shiraz University of Medical Sciences,Shiraz,Iran.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bagheri
authors.affiliation: Lagos State University,Lagos,Nigeria.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Atilola
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Leicester University,Leicester,UK.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vostanis
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Neurology and Psychiatry for Children and Youth,Belgrade,Serbia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stupar
authors.affiliation: University Lusiada,Lisboa,Portugal.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,School of Medicine, University of Split,Split,Croatia.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Franic
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,School of Medicine, University of Split,Split,Croatia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Davidovic
authors.affiliation: Medical School, University of Rijeka,Croatia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Knez
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology,Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Rijeka,Croatia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nikšić
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty Osijek,University Health Center Osijek,Croatia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dodig-Ćurković
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology,State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah,Jakarta,Indonesia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Avicenna
authors.affiliation: Dr Soeharto Heerdjan Mental Hospital,Jakarta,Indonesia.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Multazam Noor
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,University of Medicine and Pharmacy 'Victor Babes',Timisoara,Romania.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nussbaum
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center Pljevlja,Montenegro.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Deljkovic
authors.affiliation: Al Quds University,Gaza.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aziz Thabet
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,University Hospital St. Marina,Varna,Bulgaria.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Petrov
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology,St. Dominic College of Asia,City of Bacoor,Philippines.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ubalde
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estacio de Sá in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro,Brazil.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ribas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000296:Adolescent Psychiatry / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002665:Child Psychiatry / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards*; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Adolescents; anxiety; children; depression; instrument