The Storybook Social Anxiety Scale (SSAS): Development of an Instrument to Measure Childhood Social Phobia

Social anxiety can have significant effects on a child's functioning. Given the abundance of research supporting the efficacy of early interventions (Beidel, Turner, & Morris, 2000; Hirshfeld-Becker et al., 2010; Spence, Donovan, & Brechman-Toussaint, 2000), children with social phobia are in need of early identification that can prevent further development of symptoms into adolescence and adulthood (Carter, Briggs-Gowan, Jones, & Little, 2003; Edwards, Rapee, & Kennedy, 2010; Viana, Rabian, & Beidel, 2008). Although there are several assessment measures that currently assess social anxiety in children, the limitations of the existing measures point to an increasing need for assessment tools that are developmentally appropriate for young children (Morris, Hirshfeld-Becker, Henin, & Storch, 2004; Schniering, Hudson, & Rapee, 2000; Silverman & Ollendick, 2005). The intent of the current project is to develop a child-report measure to accurately assess social anxiety in a way that is developmentally sensitive, non-threatening, and engaging for children ages four to ten. The new measure is in the form of a children's storybook that is intended to be a creative alternative to traditional assessment instruments.