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Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED)3

Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) Test

In about 8 minutes, it clarifies whether a child’s anxiety is becoming a concern and where it shows up. 41 items with child and parent forms give a fuller view to guide next steps with a clinician.

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Questions: 418 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

31,382 views

2,368 completions

1,787 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

14/26

Panic Disorder/Somatic Symptoms (PDS)

The PR scale measures the severity of panic-related symptoms with physical (somatic) manifestations in a child.

Low

Elevated

0 – 6: Low | 7 – 26: Elevated

A score of 14 falls in the Elevated range, indicating a higher level of panic-related somatic symptoms on this screening scale.

example score

66/82

SCARED Total Score (STS)

The Total SCARED score summarizes overall anxiety symptom severity to help screen for possible anxiety disorders in children and adolescents.

Low

Elevated

High

0 – 24: Low | 25 – 29: Elevated | 30 – 82: High

A score of 66 falls in the High range, indicating markedly elevated anxiety symptoms on this screening measure.

example score

3/8

School Avoidance (SA)

Assesses the intensity of avoidance reactions related to attending school, which can reflect school-related fear and avoidance behaviors.

Low

Elevated

0 – 2: Low | 3 – 8: Elevated

A score of 3 falls in the Elevated range, suggesting a more pronounced school-avoidance reaction compared with lower scores.

example score

6/14

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)

Assesses the severity of symptoms associated with social anxiety in children.

Low

Elevated

0 – 7: Low | 8 – 14: Elevated

A score of 6 falls in the Low range, suggesting relatively few social anxiety symptoms on this scale.

example score

11/16

Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD)

Assesses the severity of separation-related anxiety symptoms associated with separation anxiety disorder in children.

Low

Elevated

0 – 4: Low | 5 – 16: Elevated

A score of 11 falls in the Elevated range (≥5), indicating a higher level of separation-related anxiety symptoms on this scale.

example score

5/18

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

The GTR scale screens for the severity of generalized anxiety symptoms in children.

Low

Elevated

0 – 8: Low | 9 – 18: Elevated

A score of 5 falls in the Low range, suggesting few generalized anxiety symptoms on this screening scale.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Concerned parents of 8–11s

44%OF USERS

Parents who notice frequent worries, clinginess, sleep issues, or school refusal use the parent version to understand whether anxiety may be present.

School counselors and psychologists

33%OF USERS

School-based specialists use it for quick screening when a child shows distress, avoidance, or social withdrawal and needs a clearer picture of anxiety signs.

Pediatric and mental health clinicians

23%OF USERS

Clinicians in clinics or counseling centers use both child and parent forms to guide further assessment and plan next steps for support.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

PR (P)

Average

18.9

Normal range

14.3 — 23.6

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Total SCARED Score (TSS)

Average

26.8

Normal range

15.6 — 37.9

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

AI-Psychologist (A)

Average

Normal range

3.9 — 6.1

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

SocTR (S)

Average

4.8

Normal range

2.4 — 7.2

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

SepTR (S)

Average

7.6

Normal range

5.2 — 9.9

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

GTR (G)

Average

6.4

Normal range

3.1 — 9.6

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

Below is a list of statements describing various feelings of people around you. Please read each statement carefully and decide whether, with respect to your child, the statement is: “not true / almost never true,” “somewhat true / true in some situations,” or “always true / true in most situations.” Select the response that best describes your child’s condition over the past three months. Please answer all statements as thoughtfully as possible, even if some do not seem to apply to your child directly.

- Not true or hardly ever true
- Somewhat true or sometimes true
- Very true or often true
- Not true / hardly ever true
- Somewhat true / true some of the time
- Always true / true most of the time
- Not true or hardly ever true
- Somewhat true or sometimes true
- Very true or often true

These are 3 of the 41 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

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WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) Test - Symptoms and Signs

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This measure is a brief screening questionnaire for anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents. The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) is commonly used to identify the presence and pattern of anxiety-related concerns that may warrant further clinical evaluation.

It consists of 41 items and typically takes about 8 minutes to complete. Separate child- and parent-report forms may be used to support multi-informant assessment and to compare symptom endorsement across respondents.

Item content samples a range of anxiety presentations (e.g., generalized worry, separation-related anxiety, social anxiety, and panic-like symptoms), supporting preliminary differentiation of symptom domains. The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), developed by B. Birmaher, is intended for screening and monitoring purposes and should be interpreted in the context of clinical interview, developmental considerations, and other relevant assessment data.

Author: B. Birmaher

Literature: Birmaher, B., Khetarpal, S., Brent, D., Cully, M., Balach, L., Kaufman, J., & Neer, S. M. The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED): scale construction and psychometric characteristics. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 1997.