MASC ™ Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children John S. March, M.D. Assess the major dimensions of anxiety in children and adolescents • Ages 8–19 years • Administration Time: 15 minutes; 5 minute for MASC-10 • Self-Report 39 items; 10 items for MASC-10 • Handscored, Software, and Online formats • B-Level User Qualification • © 1997 MHS Inc. All Rights Reserved. Aim The past decade has seen a heightened awareness by both mental health providers and sufferers of the relatively high prevalence and adverse impact of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. In part, this increased awareness has come about because of research that uses measures developed for youth, as well as the formation of specialty clinics created to study and treat anxiety problems. The MASC grew out of recognition that new instruments were needed to expand the scientific knowledge base concerning the childhood onset of anxiety disorders. It was developed with the goal of identifying and collecting data on a cross-section of anxiety symptoms that are present in anxious young persons. Only the most important symptoms and symptom dimensions have been included in the MASC. Moreover, for each scale and subscale, the specific items are those that are psychometrically most robust with respect to a particular symptom domain. The MASC was developed with the following objectives in mind: •T he scale should provide reliable and valid assessments of anxiety symptoms across clinically important symptom domains, •T he scale should distinguish between important anxiety symptoms, and •T he scale should be sensitive to treatment-induced changes in symptom types and levels. The MASC measures a cross-section of anxiety problems and as such can be used as a diagnostic aid. The MASC can be used in research settings where the researcher needs to be able to assess a diverse range of anxiety dimensions. As a routine screening device, the MASC or the MASC-10 Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC ™ ), John S. March, M.D. can be used in a number of settings such as schools, outpatient clinics, residential treatment centers, child protective services, juvenile detention centers, and private practice offices. Potential users of the instrument include psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, physicians, counselors, teachers, and pediatric nurses. The MASC is a useful tool for providing the clinician with structured and normed information about the respondent. For monitoring treatment progress, including the effects of psychotherapy and prescribed drugs, the MASC-10 was developed as a brief assessment and for repeated testing. User Qualifications B-level qualification requires, as a minimum, that the user has completed courses in tests and measurement at a post-secondary level. Professionals with advanced training in psychological assessment or from related disciplines that adhere to relevant professional standards must assume responsibility for the use, interpretation, and communication of results. Norming The various MASC scales were normed on a large sample of 2,698 children and adolescents (1,261 males and 1,437 females) attending several different elementary, junior high, and high schools in the United States. All of the respondents used in the normative sample were collected from regular classes (children in special education classes were excluded from the study). The MASC Technical Manual provides detailed demographic information as well as a discussion of age, gender, and ethnic differences. Instrument Format Scientific Validation The MASC consists of 39 items distributed across four basic scales (Physical Symptoms, Harm Avoidance, Social Anxiety, and Separation/ Panic—three of which have subscales); a scale measuring Total Anxiety, and two major indexes (Anxiety Disorders and Inconsistency). Refer to Diagram 1 shown below on this page. The MASC is available in “paper-and-pencil” QuikScore™ format which is designed for easy hand recording, scoring, and profiling of responses. Administration resources include the MASC Technical Manual and QuikScore™ Form. No scoring templates are necessary because the respondent’s answers transfer through to the concealed scoring page, and the scores can be calculated easily. Test reliability indicates the extent to which individual differences in test scores are attributable to “true” differences in the characteristics under consideration. Four types of reliability information on the MASC are presented in the Technical Manual: For computer-based and web-enabled assessments, custom integration with your enterprise database, or site-licensing arrangements, the MASC for Windows™ is part of the MHS Professional Tool Suite. This sophisticated software technology features SmartLink™, a client-management platform. For details about the capabilities and configuration possibilities of the MHS Professional Tool Suite, please refer to the MHS Version 5 Software Quick Start Guide available from MHS. •Test-retest reliability, and The Inconsistency Index is useful in identifying random or careless responding, and the Anxiety Disorders Index is useful in identifying respondents who might benefit from a thorough clinical assessment. The MASC utilizes a four-point, Likert-style format in which respondents are asked to rate each item with respect to their own experience. The response options range from “0” for “Never true about me” to “3” for “Often true about me”. The MASC generates 12 raw scores, not including the Inconsistency Index. The scores are then converted into standard T-scores on the MASC Profile Form, which provides a visual display of the youth’s assessment scores and comparisons with an appropriate normative group. The MASC-10 was designed as a quick and efficient unidimensional measure that taps into the four basic anxiety dimensions assessed on the MASC and generates one raw total score. It is particularly suited for group testing situations. A readability analysis of the MASC was conducted using the Dale-Chall formula, which indicated that the MASC requires a North American fourth-grade reading level. •I nternal reliability (i.e., internal consistency), •Mean inter-item correlations, •Standard error of measurement/prediction. To support the validity of the MASC, the Technical Manual also discusses: •M ASC’s scale structure, which is appropriate and valid both empirically and theoretically (factoral validity), •M ASC’s ability to discriminate between relevant groups (discriminant validity), and •Correlations with measures believed to measure the same construct (i.e., convergent validity). Translations MHS develops accurate translations of assessments, published by MHS as well as by other publishers, using our worldwide network of over 400 qualified translators with backgrounds in psychology and medicine. The MASC is available in Afrikaans, Dutch, English, English (South African), French (Canadian), French (European), German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Icelandic, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Spanish (European), Spanish (U.S), Swedish, and Turkish. For more information about the availability of the MASC in other languages, please contact the MHS Translations Department. Diverse case studies are provided in the Technical Manual to show application of the MASC in a number of situations and contexts and to clarify the use of the MASC in actual practice. Continued on next page… Diagram 1 SCALES SUBSCALES Physical Symptoms Somatic Symptoms Tense Symptoms Harm Avoidance Perfectionism Anxious Coping Social Anxiety Humiliation Fears Performance Fears Separation /Panic Supporting Literature Keller, M.B., Lavori, P. W., Wunder, J., Beardslee, W. R., Schwartz, C. E., & Roth, J. (1992). Chronic course of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Journal of American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 31, 595–599. Last, C. G., Hersen, M., Kazdin, A. E., Orvaschel, H., & Perrin, S. (1991). Anxiety disorders in children and their families. Archives of General Psychiatry, 48, 928–934. March, J. S., Parker, J. D. A., Sullivan, K., Stallings, P., & Conners, C. K. (1997). The Multidimensional Anxiety Scales for Children (MASC): Factor structure, reliability, and validity. Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36, 554–565. complementart ASSESSEMENT • Children’s Depression Inventory 2nd Edition (CDI 2™) • Conners 3rd Edition™ (Conners 3™) •Conners Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scales™ (Conners CBRS™) •Conners Early Childhood (Conners EC™) •Feelings, Attitudes, and Behaviors Scale for Children (FAB–C™) •D iagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents-IV (DICA–IV™) MHS publishes reliable, innovative, and highly respected psychological assessment tools for professionals around the world. We serve the global community with offices in North America and Europe, and partners around the world. Our assessments and services are used in clinical, educational, forensic, public safety, pharmaceutical, and research settings. Knowledgeable MHS client service specialists are happy to discuss your assessment needs with you to help you determine which tools and formats are best for you. Contact us today. For pricing and ordering information: USA 1.800.456.3003 Canada 1.800.268.6011 International +1.416.492.2627 Fa x 1.888.540.4484 or +1.416.492.3343 Website www.mhs.com Email [email protected] Research r&[email protected] site licensing and soft ware delivery applications [email protected] tr anslations [email protected] Additional copies of this document and sample software reports, if available, may be obtained from our website. MASC 09/10 Printed in Canada Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC ™ ), John S. March, M.D.