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Fears and Worries at Nighttime in Young Children: Development and Psychometric Validation of a Parent-Report Measure (FAWN-YC).

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Title: Fears and Worries at Nighttime in Young Children: Development and Psychometric Validation of a Parent-Report Measure (FAWN-YC).
Authors: Shiels, Amy (AUTHOR), Uhlmann, Laura (AUTHOR), Farrell, Lara J. (AUTHOR), Munro-Lee, Erinn (AUTHOR), Donovan, Caroline L. (AUTHOR)
Source: Child Psychiatry & Human Development. Jun2026, Vol. 57 Issue 3, p941-953. 13p.
Subjects: Factor analysis, Test reliability, Preschool children, Sleep interruptions, Psychological tests, Behavioral assessment, Child mental health services
Abstract: This paper outlines the development and psychometric evaluation of the Fears and Worries at Nighttime—Young Children (FAWN-YC) scale; a parent-rated measure for children aged 3–5 years. Based on previous literature, it was hypothesised that the measure would be represented by a six-factor solution, with four clusters of fear types and two behavioural manifestations of fears. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA; N = 436) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; N = 383), resulted in a final 17 items that loaded onto 3 factors: Nighttime Fear Focus (8 items, α = 0.92), Bedtime/Sleep Avoidance and Interference (5 items, α = 0.90), and Dark Fear (4 items, α = 0.88). Evidence of convergent validity was found through strong associations between the total score and subscales of the FAWN-YC with measures of child anxiety, fear, sleep, externalizing and conduct problems. Furthermore, there was support for divergent validity (through a very weak to no relationship with a measure of prosocial behaviours), and evidence for temporal stability was also established with 2-week test–retest reliability. Overall, the results provide strong preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of the FAWN-YC total score and subscales. Implications for the use of the measure in research and clinical practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Child Psychiatry & Human Development is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Fears and Worries at Nighttime in Young Children: Development and Psychometric Validation of a Parent-Report Measure (FAWN-YC).
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Factor+analysis%22">Factor analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Test+reliability%22">Test reliability</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preschool+children%22">Preschool children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sleep+interruptions%22">Sleep interruptions</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+tests%22">Psychological tests</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Behavioral+assessment%22">Behavioral assessment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+mental+health+services%22">Child mental health services</searchLink>
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  Data: This paper outlines the development and psychometric evaluation of the Fears and Worries at Nighttime—Young Children (FAWN-YC) scale; a parent-rated measure for children aged 3–5 years. Based on previous literature, it was hypothesised that the measure would be represented by a six-factor solution, with four clusters of fear types and two behavioural manifestations of fears. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA; N = 436) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; N = 383), resulted in a final 17 items that loaded onto 3 factors: Nighttime Fear Focus (8 items, α = 0.92), Bedtime/Sleep Avoidance and Interference (5 items, α = 0.90), and Dark Fear (4 items, α = 0.88). Evidence of convergent validity was found through strong associations between the total score and subscales of the FAWN-YC with measures of child anxiety, fear, sleep, externalizing and conduct problems. Furthermore, there was support for divergent validity (through a very weak to no relationship with a measure of prosocial behaviours), and evidence for temporal stability was also established with 2-week test–retest reliability. Overall, the results provide strong preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of the FAWN-YC total score and subscales. Implications for the use of the measure in research and clinical practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Child Psychiatry & Human Development is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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              Text: Jun2026
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