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PurposeTo perform a psychometric analysis of the Brazilian version of the Brief Social Phobia Scale (BSPS).Materials and methodsHundred and seventy-eight university students of both genders aged on average 21.2 years and identified as Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) cases and non-cases was studied, with the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV being used as a parameter. The different instruments were applied in an individual manner in the presence of a rater and of an observer.ResultsThe BSPS showed adequate internal consistency (0.48–0.88) and concurrent and divergent validity with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) (0.21–0.62), Social Phobia Inventory (0.24–0.82) and Self Statements During Public Speaking Scale (SSPS) (0.23–0.31). Discriminative validity revealed a sensitivity of 0.88–0.90 and a specificity of 0.81(0.83 for cut-off notes of 18/19. Factorial analysis demonstrated the presence of six factors that jointly explained 71.79% of data variance. Construct validity indicated some limits of the scale regarding the diagnosis of SAD. Inter-rater reliability was strong (0.86–1.00, p < 0.001).ConclusionsThe BSPS is adequate for use with university students, although further studies in different cultures, samples and contexts are still necessary.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the discriminative validity of MINI-SPIN (MS) as a screening tool for social anxiety disorder (SAD) in a group of Brazilian university students.MethodSPIN was collectively applied to 2320 university students. Among them, 656 individuals who fulfilled the criteria for positive MS (N = 473) and negative MS (N = 183) were selected and divided into two groups. The selected subjects were interviewed by telephone using the SAD module of the SCID-IV, used as the gold standard. In order to check interrater reliability, a group of university students (N = 57) was reinterviewed by telephone by a second rater, and another group (N = 100) participated in a face-to-face interview.ResultsThe Kappa coefficient among the telephone interviews was 0.80, and a coefficient of 0.84 (P < 0.001) was obtained between the telephone interview and the face-to-face one. For a cut-off score of 6, suggested in the original English version of the instrument, sensitivity was 0.94, specificity 0.46, the positive predictive value (PPV) was 0.58, and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 0.92. For a cut-off score of 7, we observed an increase in the specificity and in the PPV (0.68 and 0.65) while the sensitivity and NPV (0.78 and 0.80) remained high.Discussion/ConclusionMS showed quite satisfactory psychometric qualities. The cut-off score of 6 seemed to be the most suitable to attest the tracking value of the tool. However, the cut-off score of 7 was the most suitable as a minimum parameter for the studied group, with psychometric values more similar to those of the original study.

Background and aims Prolonged non-nutritive suckling habits (finger and pacifier) (PNNSH) can indicate children's emotional and behavioral difficulties. Our aim was to evaluate the association of such habits with emotional and behavioral problems in schoolchildren, taking also into account birth and school age conditions. Methods Data were collected at birth and school age from children of two Brazilian cities, Sao Luis (SL) and Ribeirao Preto (RP). The Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was applied to 790 schoolchildren in RP and 673 in SL to identify Emotional Symptoms, Conduct Problems, Hyperactivity and Peer Problems. The children were classified as “normal” and “abnormal” depending on the score for each scale. PNNSH were considered to be prolonged when they lasted 36 months or more. Crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) were calculated by Poisson regression. Results The overall proportion of PNNSH was 47.6% and 19.6%, and of the proportion of symptoms was 38.2% and 34.7% in RP and SL, respectively. Abnormal symptoms were: Emotional Symptoms, RP = 54.0%, SL = 57.4%; Conduct Problems, RP = 34.7%, SL = 48.0%; Hyperactivity, RP = 26.4%, SL = 32.5%; Peer Problems, RP = 27.2%, SL = 26.5%. After adjustment for socio-demographic factors, PNNSH was a risk factor for emotional symptoms (PR = 1.17), conduct problems (PR = 1.43) and hyperactivity (PR = 1.55) in RP and marginally for peer problems (PR = 1.33, 95%CI 1.00–1.77) in SL. Girls were protected against conduct problems and hyperactivity in both cities. Conclusions PNNSH were associated with behavioral and emotional symptoms at school age in RP children and borderline associated with peer problems in SL. Girls were protected from behavioral problems in both cities