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Development and validation of the Child Post‐Traumatic Cognitions Inventory (CPTCI)
Author(s) -
MeiserStedman Richard,
Smith Patrick,
Bryant Richard,
Salmon Karen,
Yule William,
Dalgleish Tim,
Nixon Reginald D.V.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.01995.x
Subject(s) - psychology , cognition , vulnerability (computing) , clinical psychology , construct validity , psychometrics , convergent validity , test validity , internal consistency , reliability (semiconductor) , poison control , traumatic stress , developmental psychology , psychiatry , medicine , power (physics) , physics , computer security , environmental health , quantum mechanics , computer science
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.