[Salpêtrière erythrophobia questionnaire validation].

OBJECTIVE

To study the main psychometric characteristics of the Salpêtrière Erythrophobia Questionnaire (SEQ) in a clinical and non-clinical sample.

METHOD: Patients with social phobia (SP) (n = 212), patients with other anxiety disorders (n = 146), and participants from the general population (n = 171) were distributed in the 3 study groups. They completed the SEQ as well as several anxiety and depression scales. Erythrophobia was diagnosed according to standardized criteria and assessed using the Clinical Global Impression Scale.

RESULTS

The SEQ scale factor pattern is clear, with only 1 factor explaining 83.9% of total score and a Cronbach's alpha consistency coefficient of 0.96. The SEQ score is significantly correlated to a dimensional hetero-evaluation of the fear of blushing (rho = 0.91) and SP measures (rho = 0.23 to 0.55). The SEQ mean score is higher in the SP group and even higher in the erythrophobia group. A score of 7 out of 24 makes it possible to identify erythrophobia with 92.1% sensitivity and 87.7% specificity. The SEQ test-retest reliability at 15-day interval is satisfactory (ICC = 0.83).

CONCLUSION

The SEQ is a valid and sensitive tool to screen and measure erythrophobia. It can be used in psychopathological and therapeutic studies of this pathology.