BACKGROUND: Negative trauma-related cognitions have been found to be a significant factor in the maintenance of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults. Initial studies of such appraisals in trauma-exposed children and adolescents suggest that this is an important line of research in youth, yet empirically validated measures for use with younger populations are lacking. A measure of negative trauma-related cognitions for use with children and adolescents, the Child Post-Traumatic Cognitions Inventory (CPTCI), is presented. The measure was devised as an age-appropriate version of the adult Post-Traumatic Cognitions Inventory (Foa et al., 1999). METHODS: The CPTCI was developed and validated within a large (n = 570) sample, comprising community and trauma-exposed samples of children and adolescents aged 6-18 years. RESULTS: Principal components analysis suggested a two-component structure. These components were labelled 'permanent and disturbing change' and 'fragile person in a scary world', and were each found to possess good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, and discriminative validity. The reliability and validity of these sub-scales was present regardless of whether the measure was completed in the acute phase or several months after a trauma. Scores on these sub-scales did not vary with age. CONCLUSIONS: The CPTCI is a reliable and valid measure that is not specific to the type of trauma exposure, and shows considerable promise as a research and clinical tool. The structure of this measure suggests that appraisals concerning the more abstract consequences of a trauma, as well as physical threat and vulnerability, are pertinent factors in trauma-exposed children and adolescents, even prepubescent children.
BACKGROUND: Negative trauma-related cognitions have been found to be a significant factor in the maintenance of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults. Initial studies of such appraisals in trauma-exposed children and adolescents suggest that this is an important line of research in youth, yet empirically validated measures for use with younger populations are lacking. A measure of negative trauma-related cognitions for use with children and adolescents, the Child Post-Traumatic Cognitions Inventory (CPTCI), is presented. The measure was devised as an age-appropriate version of the adult Post-Traumatic Cognitions Inventory (Foa et al., 1999). METHODS: The CPTCI was developed and validated within a large (n = 570) sample, comprising community and trauma-exposed samples of children and adolescents aged 6-18 years. RESULTS: Principal components analysis suggested a two-component structure. These components were labelled 'permanent and disturbing change' and 'fragile person in a scary world', and were each found to possess good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, and discriminative validity. The reliability and validity of these sub-scales was present regardless of whether the measure was completed in the acute phase or several months after a trauma. Scores on these sub-scales did not vary with age. CONCLUSIONS: The CPTCI is a reliable and valid measure that is not specific to the type of trauma exposure, and shows considerable promise as a research and clinical tool. The structure of this measure suggests that appraisals concerning the more abstract consequences of a trauma, as well as physical threat and vulnerability, are pertinent factors in trauma-exposed children and adolescents, even prepubescent children.
Authors: Anke de Haan; Markus A Landolt; Eiko I Fried; Kristian Kleinke; Eva Alisic; Richard Bryant; Karen Salmon; Sue-Huei Chen; Shu-Tsen Liu; Tim Dalgleish; Anna McKinnon; Alice Alberici; Jade Claxton; Julia Diehle; Ramón Lindauer; Carlijn de Roos; Sarah L Halligan; Rachel Hiller; Christian H Kristensen; Beatriz O M Lobo; Nicole M Volkmann; Meghan Marsac; Lamia Barakat; Nancy Kassam-Adams; Reginald D V Nixon; Susan Hogan; Raija-Leena Punamäki; Esa Palosaari; Elizabeth Schilpzand; Rowena Conroy; Patrick Smith; William Yule; Richard Meiser-Stedman Journal: J Child Psychol Psychiatry Date: 2019-11-07 Impact factor: 8.982
Authors: Betty Pfefferbaum; Carl F Weems; Brandon G Scott; Pascal Nitiéma; Mary A Noffsinger; Rose L Pfefferbaum; Vandana Varma; Amarsha Chakraburtty Journal: Child Youth Care Forum Date: 2013-08-01
Authors: Meghan L Marsac; Nancy Kassam-Adams; Douglas L Delahanty; Jeffrey Ciesla; Danielle Weiss; Keith F Widaman; Lamia P Barakat Journal: Health Psychol Date: 2017-06-26 Impact factor: 4.267
Authors: Emily M Becker-Haimes; Alexandra R Tabachnick; Briana S Last; Rebecca E Stewart; Anisa Hasan-Granier; Rinad S Beidas Journal: J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol Date: 2019-12-11