Psychometric Properties of the Child PTSD Symptom Scale for DSM-5 Interview and Self- Report Forms: Validation in a Clinical Sample
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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects a substantial proportion of trauma-exposed children and adolescents, yet validated DSM-5 PTSD assessment tools for Turkish-speaking youth remain limited, particularly measures offering both clinician-administered and self-report formats. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Turkish versions of the Child PTSD Symptom Scale for DSM-5 (CPSS-5) interview (CPSS-5-I) and self-report (CPSS-5-SR) forms in a clinical sample. Participants were 102 trauma-exposed children and adolescents (67.6% female; M age = 14.8 years, SD = 2.75) recruited from outpatient and inpatient child and adolescent psychiatry services. Psychometric properties were evaluated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), internal consistency (Cronbach's α), test-retest reliability (ICC), convergent and discriminant validity (Spearman's ρ), and diagnostic accuracy (ROC analysis with K-SADS-based DSM-5 PTSD diagnosis as the reference standard). Both forms demonstrated excellent internal consistency (CPSS-5-SR: α = .936; CPSS-5-I: α = .904). EFA and CFA supported a four-factor structure consistent with DSM-5 PTSD symptom clusters (CPSS-5-SR: RMSEA = .045, CFI = .969; CPSS-5-I: RMSEA = .046, CFI = .951). Test-retest reliability was excellent for both forms (CPSS-5-I: ICC = .896; CPSS-5-SR: ICC = .871). Convergent validity was strong (ρ = .900, p < .001). Discriminant validity was supported by moderate correlations with anxiety (ρ = .326–.461) and depression (ρ = .437–.583; n = 37), substantially lower than the inter-form coefficient. ROC analysis revealed excellent diagnostic accuracy (CPSS-5-I: AUC = .927; CPSS-5-SR: AUC = .928), with optimal cutoffs of 33.5 (sensitivity 91.5%, specificity 85.2%) and 44 (sensitivity 83.0%, specificity 90.7%), respectively. The Turkish CPSS-5-I and CPSS-5-SR demonstrated strong psychometric properties and excellent diagnostic accuracy, supporting their use for PTSD screening, diagnosis, and treatment monitoring in clinical settings.
