Assessing Social Anxiety Disorder : Psychometric Properties of the Italian Social Phobia Inventory (I-SPIN)

Objective: Social Phobia, one of the most common psychological disorders, can cause serious discomfort and impairment in a person’s life. The importance of assessing the specific features of this disorder is well-known. This paper assesses the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Social Phobia Inventory (I-SPIN). Method: Data from 410 subjects were analyzed in order to assess the factor structure and the discriminant validity of the I-SPIN. The sample was sub-divided into two groups: 1) a group of normal population; 2) a clinical group. Results: Results of Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed a three-factor structure of the I-SPIN. The discriminating ability of the I-SPIN was good. Conclusions: The Italian version of the I-SPIN emerges as a useful instrument for research and clinical practice.