Functional Posttraumatic Cognitions Questionnaire (FPTCQ): Turkish Adaptation and Validation

While dysfunctional posttraumatic cognitions are well-studied, functional posttraumatic cognitions remain largely unexplored. Advancing research on functional cognitions following trauma requires reliable and valid instruments that can accurately assess them. This study aimed to adapt the Functional Posttraumatic Cognitions Questionnaire (FPTCQ) into Turkish and evaluate its psychometric properties. The Study I sample consisted of 460 adults (385 women, 83.7%; 75 men, 16.3%) aged 18-51 years (M = 23.69, SD = 5.64). The Study II sample consisted of 494 adults (79.4% women and 20.6% men) aged 18-51 years (M = 22.99, SD = 5.38). In Study I, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the 11-item factor structure of the FPTCQ-Turkish Form with good fit indices: χ2/df = 4.57, RMSEA = 0.08, SRMR = 0.047, and CFI = 0.926. Reliability coefficients indicated high internal consistency in Study I (α = 0.88, ω = 0.88, λ = 0.89) and Study II (α = 0.87, ω = 0.87, λ = 0.88). Convergent validity was supported, with FPTCs showing significant correlations with perceived stress (r = - .431), cognitive attribution (r = - .489), and subjective happiness (r = .444). Measurement invariance was established at configural, metric, and scalar levels. Item Response Theory (IRT) analyses demonstrated acceptable to very high item discrimination (0.75-3.17). In Study II, predictive validity was assessed via structural equation modeling (SEM). The model indicated good fit indices: χ2/df = 2.75, RMSEA = 0.06, SRMR = 0.056, and CFI = 0.958. FPTCs made a significant unique contribution to life satisfaction, explaining an additional 3% of its variance beyond resilience and posttraumatic growth. The findings suggest that the FPTCQ-Turkish Form can be utilized to assess functional posttraumatic cognitions. Furthermore, FPTCs have the potential to represent a posttraumatic cognitions framework in adults.