The Child PTSD Symptom Scale: an update and replication of its psychometric properties

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Accurate assessment of childhood posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is crucial for effective intervention.
• The Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS) is a tool used to measure PTSD symptoms in pediatric populations.
• Validation of psychometric properties ensures the reliability and accuracy of diagnostic instruments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS) in two distinct pediatric samples.
• To assess the CPSS's reliability, validity, sensitivity, and specificity as a diagnostic measure for childhood PTSD.
• To determine an optimal cutoff score for the CPSS Symptom Severity Scale for identifying PTSD.

Main Methods:

• Two samples of children (ages 6-17) were assessed: one post-trauma (N=185) and one treatment-seeking (N=68).
• Psychometric properties, including internal reliability and correlation with structured clinical interviews for PTSD diagnosis, were examined.
• Sensitivity and specificity analyses were conducted to evaluate the CPSS's diagnostic performance.

Main Results:

• The CPSS demonstrated good to very good internal reliability in both samples (Cronbach's alpha = .83 and .90).
• A significant point-biserial correlation (r = .51) was found between CPSS scores and PTSD diagnosis.
• The CPSS showed a sensitivity of 84% and specificity of 72%, with a revised cutoff score of 16 or above suggested for the Symptom Severity Scale.

Conclusions:

• The Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS) possesses favorable psychometric properties for assessing PTSD symptoms in children.
• The CPSS is applicable as a diagnostic measure for childhood PTSD, with a revised cutoff score enhancing its accuracy.
• Findings support the use of the CPSS in clinical settings for the identification and diagnosis of PTSD in pediatric populations.