Development and validation of a brief questionnaire for the joint assessment of early maltreatment and early caring experiences

Early life experiences significantly impact mental health, yet tools assessing both early maltreatment experiences (EME) and early caring experiences (ECE) remain scarce.

This study aimed to develop and validate the self-reported Early Maltreatment & Caring Experiences (EMCE) questionnaire, a concise tool for dual assessment of these experiences.

A clinical sample of 272 adults diagnosed with major depressive disorder was recruited from an outpatient clinic in Santiago, Chile.

Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA), internal consistency, and test-retest reliability of the EMCE were assessed. Logistic regression with 1000 bootstrap replications evaluated predictive validity for complex and severe depression. Construct validity was assessed against the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), and resilience was measured using the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS).

CFA refined the EMCE into a concise 6-item version (χ²(7) = 9.54, p = .216, RMSEA = 0.037, CFI = 0.995, TLI = 0.989) with strong psychometric properties, including good internal consistency (α = 0.73 for EME, α = 0.80 for ECE), excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.86 and 0.79, respectively). Each EME point increased odds of complex depression (OR = 1.33, 95 % BC CI 1.18-1.52), while higher ECE scores reduced them (OR = 0.83, 95 % BC CI 0.74-0.94). Agreement analyses with the CTQ-SF supported construct validity.

The EMCE provides a reliable, concise tool for assessing early maltreatment and caregiving experiences, supporting clinicians and researchers in exploring vulnerabilities and protective factors. Its brevity ensures feasibility in clinical and research settings.