Psychometric Evaluation and Validation of the Persian Version of the Screen for Adult Anxiety Related Disorders (SCAARED) in a Sample of Iranian Mothers

Alireza  Nalaie; Zahra Bagherzadeh Golmakani; Ahmad  Mansouri; Mustafa Bolghan-Abadi

Authors

Alireza Nalaie Department of Psychology, Ne.C., Islamic Azad University, Neyshabur, Iran. Author https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4712-7758
Zahra Bagherzadeh Golmakani Department of Psychology, Ne.C., Islamic Azad University, Neyshabur, Iran. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3662-7273
Ahmad Mansouri Department of Psychology, Ne.C., Islamic Azad University, Neyshabur, Iran. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3944-4082
Mustafa Bolghan-Abadi Department of Educational Science, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5916-8217

Keywords:

Anxiety Disorders, Psychometrics, Reliability, Validity, Mothers, SCAARED

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties and validate the Persian version of the Screen for Adult Anxiety Related Disorders (SCAARED) in a sample of Iranian mothers.

Methods and Materials: This descriptive-correlational psychometric study was conducted among mothers of lower-secondary school students in Mashhad, Iran, during the 2024–2025 academic year. The target population comprised approximately 110,000 mothers, of whom 296 were selected using multistage cluster sampling. Following forward and backward translation of the SCAARED, its face and content validity were evaluated by 15 experts in anxiety disorders. Construct validity was assessed through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Internal consistency and construct reliability and validity were examined using Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, average variance extracted (AVE), the Fornell–Larcker criterion, and the heterotrait–monotrait (HTMT) ratio.

Findings: The content validity ratio (CVR) values for all 44 items ranged from 0.60 to 1.00, while item-level content validity index (I-CVI) values ranged from 0.87 to 1.00. EFA supported a four-factor structure accounting for 58.3% of the total variance. CFA further confirmed the adequacy of the four-factor model. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the total scale was 0.807, indicating satisfactory internal consistency. The AVE was 0.586, supporting adequate convergent validity. Furthermore, the Fornell–Larcker criterion and HTMT matrix demonstrated satisfactory discriminant validity among the identified factors.

Conclusion: The Persian version of the SCAARED demonstrated satisfactory reliability, content validity, construct validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. Accordingly, it can be considered a valid and reliable instrument for screening anxiety disorders among Iranian mothers and may be used in both research and clinical settings.

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