The Child PTSD Symptom Scale: An Update and Replication of Its Psychometric Properties

Summary, in English

The psychometric properties of the Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS) were examined in 2 samples. Sample 1 (N 185, ages 6–17 years) consisted of children recruited from hospitals after accidental injury, assault, and road traffic trauma, and assessed 6 months posttrauma. Sample 2 (N 68, ages 6–17 years) comprised treatment-seeking children who had experienced diverse traumas. In both samples

psychometric properties were generally good to very good (internal reliability for total CPSS scores .83 and .90, respectively). The point-biserial correlation of the CPSS with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis derived from structured clinical interview was .51, and children diagnosed with PTSD reported significantly higher symptoms than non-PTSD children. The CPSS demonstrated applicability to be used as a diagnostic measure, demonstrating sensitivity of 84% and specificity of 72%. The performance of the CPSS Symptom Severity Scale to accurately identify PTSD at varying cutoffs is reported in both samples, with a score of 16 or above suggested as a revised cutoff.

• Author: Reginald Nixon; Richard Meiser-Stedman; Tim Dalgleish; William Yule; David Clark; Sean Perrin; Patrick Smith
• Department/s: Department of Psychology
• Publishing year: 2013
• Language: English
• Pages: 1025-1031
• Publication/Series: Psychological Assessment
• Volume: 25
• Issue: 3
• Full text: - 127 kB; Download statistics
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0033324
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
• Topic: Psychology
• Keywords: confirmatory factor analysis; reliable change index; test–retest reliability; CPSS; posttraumatic stress disorder
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 1040-3590; doi: 10.1037/a0033324