Validation of the Social Mistrust Scale in non-clinical and clinical samples of children aged 8-14 years living in Italy: convergence with anxiety and depression.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Paranoia exists in the general population, both in adults and in children, and is a key feature of schizotypy and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. Attempts to develop child-appropriate tools to assess childhood suspiciousness and its correlation with developmental psychopathology are underdeveloped but crucial.

Aims

This study examines the prevalence and structure of childhood mistrust and its correlations with internalising and externalising problems in non-clinical and clinical samples using a newly validated Italian Social Mistrust Scale (SMS).

Methods

Children aged 8-14 years old from a non-clinical (n=242) and a clinical sample with anxiety and/or mood disorder (n=44) were recruited. All children completed the SMS and a standardised battery of tests m

SUBMITTER: Zaccaria V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12352132 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature