The Polish adaptation of the Disclosure of Trauma Questionnaire (DTQ).

OBJECTIVES

Trauma disclosure is one of the key concepts of the social-interpersonal model of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study aimed to present the Polish adaptation of the Disclosure of Trauma Questionnaire (DTQ).

METHODS

The study was conducted among 120 participants (51 females and 69 males) aged 18-58 years (M = 34.52; SD = 9.95). The reliability of the DTQ was measured using Cronbach's alpha coefficients and intraclass correlation coefficients. The validity of the DTQ compared to the scores acquired with the PTSD Diagnostic Scale for DSM-5 (PDS-5), the Impact of Event Scale (IES), the Social Acknowledgment Questionnaire (SAQ), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis and correlation analysis.

RESULTS

The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.87 for reluctance to talk subscale, 0.74 for urge to talk subscale, 0.85 for emotional reactions subscale, and 0.85 for the total DTQ questionnaire score. The intraclass correlation coefficients were high: 0.83 for reluctance to talk, 0.71 for urge to talk, 0.77 for emotional reactions, and 0.76 for the total DTQ questionnaire score. The factorial structure of the DTQ was confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis. The DTQ subscale scores correlated positively with the severity of PTSD symptoms and depressive symptoms, as well as the lack of social acknowledgement, as expected.

CONCLUSIONS

The observed empirical results confirmed the satisfactory psychometric properties of the DTQ. This inventory may be useful for a broader understanding of how trauma disclosure is related to the social context of dealing with traumatic events.