Factor structure of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale in community-dwelling subjects in Japan

This study examined the internal consistency and structural/construct validity of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) for community‐dwelling subjects in Japan. A cross‐sectional study that included 929 participants was conducted. Structural/construct validity was assessed on confirmatory factor analysis. The internal consistency reliability was good for the overall LSAS scale (α = 0.97) and for its original four factors (α = 0.92–0.89). The original four‐factor model fit the observed data relatively better than alternative models. These findings indicate that the LSAS is a valid and reliable measure of anxiety symptoms for this community‐dwelling population in Japan.