Introduction
The Spence questionnaire asks children about fears, worries and situations that feel uncomfortable. This 45-question form includes experiences involving separation, social situations, physical sensations and specific fears.
Children may describe anxiety through behaviour as well as words: avoiding an activity, asking repeatedly for reassurance or becoming upset before a routine event. An adult's observations and the child's own account add different perspectives; the questionnaire is written around the child's experience.
For choosing a tool, distinguish fear and worry from attention or activity difficulties. Vanderbilt examines behaviour through an observer's report, while Spence concentrates on anxiety. Examples from home and school help explain when a concern appears and what the child misses out on.
Instructions
Click on the circle that shows how often each of these things happen to you. There are no right or wrong answers.
Scoring and result metrics
The result page reports a local screening score for this questionnaire. Use the score range, any subscale scores, and the interpretation band together rather than treating one number as a diagnosis.
- Score range
- 0-117
- Items scored
- 45
- Result indicators
- Total score / Interpretation band when available
Score interpretation bands
- 0-59Lower range
Scores of 59 and below are generally not indicative of elevated anxiety levels.
- 60-117Elevated range
Scores of 60 and above may be indicative of elevated anxiety levels.
Interpretation bands summarize screening thresholds from the questionnaire source material. Higher scores usually indicate more of the measured concern unless the tool notes a different scoring rule.
Tool information
- Version
- 45 questions
- Administration
- Self-report
- Intended audience
- School-age children and adolescents, commonly ages 8-15, reporting their own anxiety symptoms with adult help only when clarification is needed
Sources
- SH Spence. Structure of Anxiety Symptoms Among Children: A Confirmatory Factor-Analytic Study. 106(2): Journal of Abnormal Psychology 280-297 (1997). [PDF]
- SH Spence. A Measure of Anxiety Symptoms Among Children. Behaviour Research and Therapy 545-566 (1998).
- SH Spence, PM Barrett, CM Turner. Psychometric Properties of the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale with Young Adolescents. 17(6): Journal of Anxiety Disorders 605-625 (2003).
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