Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS)

Background

The Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) is a widely used self-report questionnaire designed to assess anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents. It measures several types of anxiety, including separation anxiety, social anxiety, panic symptoms, fears, and obsessive-compulsive behaviors.

Procedure

Participants rate how often each statement happens to them using a 4-point scale ranging from “Never” to “Always.” The questionnaire evaluates common emotional, physical, and behavioral symptoms of anxiety.

Participation

This assessment is intended for educational, research, and self-reflection purposes only. Results are anonymous and should not be considered a clinical diagnosis or substitute for professional psychological evaluation.

Scoring & Interpretation

Each question is scored from 0 to 3. Higher scores indicate greater anxiety-related symptoms and emotional distress. Some positively worded items are reverse scored before calculating results.

Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) Questionnaire

Instructions & Terms

Below is the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS), a digitally adapted 45- items self-assessment questionnaire. This assessment does not provide a clinical diagnosis, medical determination, or substitute for professional psychological evaluation.

Question 1 of 45 Generalized Anxiety

I worry about things.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 2 of 45 Physical Injury Fears

I am scared of the dark.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 3 of 45 Panic Symptoms

When I have a problem, I get a funny feeling in my stomach.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 4 of 45 Panic Symptoms

I feel afraid.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 5 of 45 Separation Anxiety

I would feel afraid of being on my own at home.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 6 of 45 Social Anxiety

I feel scared when I have to take a test.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 7 of 45 Social Anxiety

I feel afraid if I have to use public toilets or bathrooms.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 8 of 45 Separation Anxiety

I worry about being away from my parents.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 9 of 45 Social Anxiety

I feel afraid that I will make a fool of myself in front of people.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 10 of 45 Generalized Anxiety

I worry that I will do badly at my school work.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 11 of 45 Positive Adjustment

I am popular amongst other kids my own age.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 12 of 45 Generalized Anxiety

I worry that something awful will happen to someone in my family.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 13 of 45 Panic Symptoms

I suddenly feel as if I can’t breathe when there is no reason for this.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 14 of 45 Obsessive Compulsive

I have to keep checking that I have done things right (like the switch is off, or the door is locked).

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 15 of 45 Separation Anxiety

I feel scared if I have to sleep on my own.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 16 of 45 Separation Anxiety

I have trouble going to school in the mornings because I feel nervous or afraid.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 17 of 45 Positive Adjustment

I am good at sports.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 18 of 45 Physical Injury Fears

I am scared of dogs.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 19 of 45 Obsessive Compulsive

I can’t seem to get bad or silly thoughts out of my head.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 20 of 45 Panic Symptoms

When I have a problem, my heart beats really fast.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 21 of 45 Panic Symptoms

I suddenly start to tremble or shake when there is no reason for this.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 22 of 45 Generalized Anxiety

I worry that something bad will happen to me.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 23 of 45 Physical Injury Fears

I am scared of going to the doctors or dentists.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 24 of 45 Panic Symptoms

When I have a problem, I feel shaky.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 25 of 45 Physical Injury Fears

I am scared of being in high places or elevators (lifts).

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 26 of 45 Positive Adjustment

I am a good person.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 27 of 45 Obsessive Compulsive

I have to think of special thoughts to stop bad things from happening (like numbers or words).

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 28 of 45 Physical Injury Fears

I feel scared if I have to travel in the car, or on a bus or a train.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 29 of 45 Social Anxiety

I worry what other people think of me.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 30 of 45 Social Anxiety

I am afraid of being in crowded places (like shopping centers, the movies, buses, busy playgrounds).

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 31 of 45 Positive Adjustment

I feel happy.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 32 of 45 Panic Symptoms

All of a sudden I feel really scared for no reason at all.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 33 of 45 Physical Injury Fears

I am scared of insects or spiders.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 34 of 45 Panic Symptoms

I suddenly become dizzy or faint when there is no reason for this.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 35 of 45 Social Anxiety

I feel afraid if I have to talk in front of my class.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 36 of 45 Panic Symptoms

My heart suddenly starts to beat too quickly for no reason.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 37 of 45 Generalized Anxiety

I worry that I will suddenly get a scared feeling when there is nothing to be afraid of.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 38 of 45 Positive Adjustment

I like myself.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 39 of 45 Physical Injury Fears

I am afraid of being in small closed places, like tunnels or small rooms.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 40 of 45 Obsessive Compulsive

I have to do some things over and over again (like washing my hands, cleaning or putting things in a certain order).

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 41 of 45 Obsessive Compulsive

I get bothered by bad or silly thoughts or pictures in my mind.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 42 of 45 Obsessive Compulsive

I have to do some things in just the right way to stop bad things happening.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 43 of 45 Positive Adjustment

I am proud of my school work.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 44 of 45 Separation Anxiety

I would feel scared if I had to stay away from home overnight.

Never Sometimes Often Always

Question 45 of 45 Physical Injury Fears

Is there something else that you are really afraid of? How often are you afraid of this thing?

Never Sometimes Often Always

Psychometric Norms

Participants

54%

Community Mean

Sample SD

54%

Highest Observed Score

54%

Lowest Observed Score

2026–2026

Collection Period

Current normative data for theCurrent normative data for the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) are derived from 1 anonymous participant responses collected through TraitProfiler between 2026 and 2026. All response data are collected anonymously and are intended exclusively for educational, psychometric, and non-commercial research purposes.

Sources

Spence, S. H. (1998). A measure of anxiety symptoms among children. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36(5), 545–566.