Brief Posttraumatic Maladaptive Beliefs Scale (B-PMBS): Proposing a brief measure of posttraumatic cognitions about...

The Posttraumatic Maladaptive Beliefs Scale (PMBS) assesses negative beliefs about self, others, and the world posttrauma. Despite a strong theoretical basis, its three-subscale structure lacked empirical support for its structural validity. This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the PMBS and assess its applicability across diverse populations.

With 443 trauma-exposed participants, we conducted a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), which revealed an inadequate factor structure. Subsequently, we explored an alternative structure and its applicability across demographics using multigroup CFAs to test measurement invariance.

Initial CFA revealed that the three-subscale structure of the PMBS, based on theoretical conceptualization, had an inadequate fit. Through exploratory factor analyses, an alternative eight-item, two-factor model was derived using Subsample 1 (n = 222). The validity of this model was further confirmed through CFA on a separate Subsample 2 (n = 221). The scale was renamed as the Brief version of the Posttraumatic Maladaptive Beliefs Scale (B-PMBS). The B-PMBS demonstrated sound convergent and divergent validity with variables such as the number of traumatic events, their perceived impact, event centrality, resilience, and core self-evaluation. It also showed factorial invariance across various demographic groups, including gender, race, and disability status.

These findings challenge the structural validity of the original PMBS and support the psychometric validity of the B-PMBS across diverse populations. Its reliability and brevity make the B-PMBS a valuable tool for clinicians and researchers seeking to identify and address posttraumatic cognitions in various settings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).