The Child PTSD Symptom Scale in Abused Children: Criteria for Diagnosis

By analyzing the psychometric properties of the Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS) this study aims to provide data for improving the diagnostic criteria of PTSD in childhood and adolescence. The sample consists of 221 children aged between 8 and 17, who have suffered chronic intrafamily abuse. The factor structure, reliability and concurrent and discriminant validity of the CPSS scale have been analyzed. The exploratory factor analysis supported a single factor in contrast to the three and four factor structure proposed in DSM-IV and DSM-5. Internal consistency was high (alpha=0.884), and concurrent and discriminant validity tests were also significant.