Comparative analysis of pediatric anxiety measures in clinical sample: evaluation of the PROMIS pediatric anxiety short forms

Objective: Examine the psychometric properties, validity in relation to a legacy measure, and diagnostic accuracy of the PROMIS Anxiety Short Form 2.0 (PROMIS A-SF) Caregiver and Youth Reports in a clinical sample. Methods: Participants were 301 youth and caregivers referred to a behavioral health clinic by their pediatrician. Participants and their caregivers completed PROMIS A-SF (youth and caregiver proxy), SCARED (youth and caregiver proxy), and a semi-structured interview. Descriptive, correlational, test–retest reliability, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were conducted for both measures. Results: PROMIS A-SF measures were highly correlated with SCARED total scores and the panic subscale. PROMIS A-SF measures had AUCs ranging from.49-.79 for the detection of any of three primary subtypes of anxiety: Generalized Anxiety, Separation Anxiety, and Social Anxiety. Implications: Dimensional anxiety subtypes, such as Social Anxiety may not be well detected on the PROMIS youth measure. Use of the PROMIS A-SF as a part of Evidence Based Assessment process is discussed.