Psychometric Properties of the Portuguese Version of the Child Post-traumatic Cognitions Inventory in a Sample of Childr
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Psychometric Properties of the Portuguese Version of the Child Post‑traumatic Cognitions Inventory in a Sample of Children and Adolescents Following a Wildfire Disaster Ana Fonseca1 · Paula Vagos2,1 · Helena Moreira1 · Joana Pereira1 · Maria Cristina Canavarro1 · Daniel Rijo1
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Child Post-Traumatic Cognitions Inventory (CPTCI) in a sample of Portuguese children and adolescents, following the exposition to a wildfire disaster. The sample included 533 children and adolescents living in regions exposed to the wildfire disaster (non-clinical sample: n = 483; clinical sample: n = 50). The short form of the instrument (CPTCI-SF) including two correlated factors (‘Sense of Disturbing and Permanent Change’ and ‘Sense of Being a Fragile Person in a Scary World’) showed good model fit and was invariant across gender and age-groups. Good internal consistency (> .70) was found, and higher CPTCI scores were associated with poorer adjustment indicators. The clinical sample presented significantly higher CPTCI scores than the non-clinical sample. These results contribute to the cross-cultural validation of the CPTCI and support the adequacy of its short form as a reliable and valid measure to be used with Portuguese children and adolescents. Keywords Child Post-traumatic Cognitions Inventory · Post-traumatic cognitions · PTSD · Psychometric studies · Trauma · Wildfire disaster
Introduction Exposure to potentially traumatic events (e.g., natural disasters such as wildfires, violence, war, sexual abuse) constitutes a risk factor for the development of mental illness in children and adolescents, including Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) [1]. The rates of traumatic exposure among youth are high, with large, representative studies suggesting that more than two thirds of children and adolescents have been exposed to at least one potentially traumatic event [1–3]. A significant proportion of children and adolescents who are exposed to a traumatic event display initial stress reactions (e.g., symptoms of posttraumatic stress) that can interfere with their overall functioning and wellbeing [2, 4]. * Ana Fonseca [email protected]; [email protected] 1
CINEICC ‑ Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Rua do Colégio Novo, 3001‑802 Coimbra, Portugal
Portucalense University, Porto, Portugal
2
Although the initial stress reactions tend to decline over time in most youth [5], some children and adolescents present more complex, intense, chronic and pervasive reactions to the traumatic event, leading to a diagnosis of PTSD. Data from a meta-analysis reported that the incidence of PTSD among trauma-exposed children and adolescents was 15.9% [6], and the associated lifetime prevalence of PTSD was 7.6% [7]. Longitudinal studies show that PTSD symptoms are f
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