Abstract

Worry is a cognitive process anticipating possible events and negative outcomes. If repetitive and uncontrollable, it is used as a dysfunctional coping strategy and it represents the core of anxiety disorders. This study presents the Italian version of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire for Children (PSWQ-C). The monofactorial scale (14 item) was validated on a community sample (n = 502, 11-16 y.o.) and showed high reliability, stability test-retest, and convergent validity with alexithymia measures. Higher PSWQ-C scores differentiated children with elevate vs. normal anxiety. The utility of the PSWQ-C in developmental and clinical filed of anxiety disorders is discussed.