Validation of the Child Post-Traumatic Cognitions Inventory in Korean survivors of sexual violence

Abstract

Background: Dysfunctional cognitions related to trauma is an important factor in the development and maintenance of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in children and adolescents. The Child Post-traumatic Cognitions Inventory (CPTCI) assesses such cognitions about trauma. We investigated the psychometric properties of the Korean version of CPTCI and its short form by surveying child and adolescent survivors of sexual violence. Methods: Children and adolescents aged 7-16 years (N = 237, M-age = 12.6, SD = 2.3, 222 [93.7%] were female) who were exposed to sexual violence were included in this survey. We assessed the factor structure, internal consistency, and validity of the CPTCI and its short form through data analysis. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis results supported the two-factor model presented in the original study. The total scale, its subscales, and the short form had good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .96 for total scale and .91-.95 for the other scales). The CPTCI showed high correlations with scales measuring post-traumatic stress symptoms (r = .77 - .80), anxiety (r = .69 - .71), and depression (r = .74 - .77); the correlation with post-traumatic stress symptoms was the highest. The differences in CPTCI scores per post-traumatic stress symptom levels were significant (all p ˂ .001) Sex differences in CPTCI scores were not significant (p ˃ .05 for all comparisons); however, the scores exhibited differences per age group (all p ˂ .001). Conclusions: The results indicate that the Korean version of the CPTCI is a valid and reliable scale; therefore, it may be a valuable tool for assessing maladaptive cognitions related to trauma in research and clinical settings.