The Child Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist in a Sample of South African Youth

• DOI: 10.1097/nmd.0b013e31826140e7
• Publication Date: 2012-12-17T19:57:44Z
• Authors: Friederike Frank-...; Pamela Naidoo; Karen J. Cloete; Soraya Seedat
• Keywords: Exploratory factor analysis; Concurrent validity

To address the diverse health effects of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in youth, reliable and valid screening diagnostic instruments that can be adapted to specific context which they are used, required. Here, we assessed psychometric properties (factorial validity, concurrent internal consistency) Child PTSD Checklist treatment-seeking youth using secondary data. The scale demonstrated high consistency (Cronbach α = 0.93). Exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure (anxiety avoidance, anger dissociation, depressive symptoms) accounted for 41.9% total variance. Concurrent validity was fair between Kiddie Schedule Affective Disorders Schizophrenia, Present Lifetime version when assessing PTSD. seems promising tool trauma-exposed clinic settings. However, further studies needed checklist’s broader utility.