Properties of the childhood anxiety sensitivity index in children with anxiety disorders: Autonomic and nonautonomic factors

This study examined the item properties, factor structure, and convergent, discriminant, and incremental validity of items on the Childhood Anxiety Se nsitivity Index (CASI). A large sample of children and adolescents with anx iety disorders (N = 228) was administered semistructured clinical interview s and self-report measures of anxiety sensitivity, anxiety, and depression. Overall, the CASI was found to exhibit good convergent and discriminant pr operties in relation to clinician-rated panic and generalized anxiety sever ity, respectively. Results identified a subset of items (autonomic items) t hat demonstrated psychometric properties superior td the full scale, in bot h child (7 to ii years) and adolescent (12 to 17 years) subsamples. The fin dings point to strategies for continued investigation regarding the clinica l assessment of AS in children and adolescents.