Validation of the Stirling Children’s Well-being Scale in an Irish Sample

This study aimed to validate the Stirling Children’s Well-being Scale (SCWBS) for use in the Republic of Ireland by examining its factor structure, validity, reliability, and responsiveness to change using a data set from 598 children aged 8–13 years.Confirmatory factor analysis supported the second-order, two-factor structure of the SCWBS as an excellent fit for the sample. The scale demonstrated robust internal consistency reliability (α and ω  = .80-.90), and adequate construct validity, with positive associations with the Feeling Better Scale (FBS; r  = .16-.30) which assesses state well-being, and negative associations with the Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS; r  = − .41-.50). The scale demonstrated high responsiveness to changes in the domains of positive emotional state ( SRM  = 1.18) and overall well-being ( SRM  = 0.77). However, test-retest reliability of the SCWBS over a 10-week period was poor ( ICC  = .35-.38). Demographic variables were found to have minimal influence on children’s well-being.Findings indicated that the SCWBS is a valid and reliable measure of child well-being at a single time point in Ireland. Future research should include a socio-economically balanced sample and investigate convergent validity using established measures of trait well-being. Further investigation into the test-retest reliability and responsiveness to change of the SCWBS is warranted.