(PS5-28) Examining Measurement Invariance of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) Across Age Groups and Ethnicities Among Youth with Depression

Anxiety disorders are recognized as among the most widespread psychiatric conditions affecting children and adolescents. In response, self-report questionnaires appear to be an efficient means of identifying anxious youths, however, these assessment tools have been extensively examined in non-Hispanic white populations, leaving a gap in psychometric data for anxiety measures tailored to youth from Hispanic backgrounds and how age impacts the assessment. To date, there are no studies exclusively dedicated to investigating measurement invariance of the SCARED between Hispanic and non-Hispanic White individuals across different developmental stages. The present study seeks to address this gap to enhance the SCAREDs applicability across diverse populations and age groups so researchers and practitioners can strengthen their ability to identify anxiety in youth from diverse backgrounds. Participants included those involved in the Texas Youth Depression and Suicide Research Network (YDSRN) study, a longitudinal repository study measuring youth mental health using self-report and clinician-administered batteries, including the SCARED. An exploratory design and structural equation modeling framework using multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) was used to analyze the measurement invariance (configural, metric, scalar) across age and ethnicity. To decide the adequacy of each invariance level, chi-square difference tests and several fit indices, including Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA), comparative fit index (CFI), and Standardized Root Mean Squared Residual (SRMR) were used. The same approach was used to assess measurement invariance across different age groups. The participants' ages ranged from 8 to 18 years (M = 15.5). The sample was non-Hispanic (55.3%, n = 540), while nearly half identified as Hispanic (44.6%, n = 435). 14.8% of participants (n = 121) were in the 8-12 age group and 85.2% (n = 698) in the 13-18 age range. The MG-CFA demonstrated marginally acceptable fit to the data for both ethnicity (χ2 = 3973.42, df = 1534, p < .0001; RMSEA = .058, CFI = .876, SRMR = .059) and age (χ2 = 3724.417, df = 1534, p < .0001; RMSEA = .059, CFI = .873, SRMR = .058). Metric models supported marginally acceptable fit for both ethnicity and age and were not significantly different from configural models. When scalar invariance models were evaluated by further adding the constraint of equal item intercepts across groups, the models supported marginally acceptable fit across ethnicity and age. Comparisons of the scalar and metric invariance models indicate support for scalar invariance across both ethnicity and age groups. Measurement invariance across race and age groups demonstrated configural, metric, and scalar invariance. Future research should utilize the YDSRN longitudinal study design to investigate trajectories of comorbidities among youth from diverse ethnic backgrounds. These findings signify the extent to which the SCARED measure is invariant across race and age, endorsing its applicability and reliability in diverse ethnic contexts across age groups and affirming its utility in consistently evaluating youth mental health.