Psychometric Validation Study of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale - Self-Reported Version for Brazilian Portuguese

Author(s)

dos Santos, Larissa Forni ^[1] ; Loureiro, Sonia Regina ^{[1, 2]} ; de Souza Crippa, Jose Alexandre ^{[1, 2]} ; Osorio, Flavia de Lima ^{[1, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med Ribeirao Preto, Dept Neurosci & Behav, Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

^[2] Natl Inst Technol & Translat Med, Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: PLoS One; v. 8, n. 7 JUL 26 2013.
• Web of Science Citations: 3

Abstract

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is prevalent and rarely diagnosed due to the difficulty in recognizing its symptoms as belonging to a disorder. Therefore, the evaluation/screening scales are of great importance for its detection, with the most used being the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS). Thus, this study proposed to evaluate the psychometric properties of internal consistency and convergent validity, as well as the confirmatory factorial analysis and reliability of the self-reported version of the LSAS (LSAS-SR), translated into Brazilian Portuguese, in a sample of the general population (N = 413) and in a SAD clinical sample (N = 252). The convergent validity with specific scales for the evaluation of SAD and a general anxiety scale presented correlations ranging from 0.21 to 0.84. The confirmatory factorial analysis did not replicate the previously indicated findings of the literature, with the difficulty being in obtaining a consensus factorial structure common to the diverse cultures in which the instrument was studied. The LSAS-SR presented excellent internal consistency (alpha = 0.90-0.96) and test-retest reliability (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient = 0.81; Pearson's = 0.82). The present findings support those of international studies that attest to the excellent psychometric properties of the LSAS-SR, endorsing its status as the gold standard. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/02260-7 - Early emotional traumas, psychiatric disorders and recognition of facial expressions: adaptation of instruments and clinical studies involving the prevalence and association of variables
• Grantee: Flávia de Lima Osório
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants