Kemp Emily C, Thakur Hena, Espeleta Hannah C, Ridings Leigh E, Hanson Rochelle F, Ruggiero Kenneth, Davidson Tatiana M
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina.
College of Nursing, Medical University of South Carolina.
Psychol Trauma. 2025 Jul 21. doi: 10.1037/tra0001995.
The child and adolescent trauma screen (CATS) is a widely used tool for assessing posttraumatic stress symptoms in youth; yet very few studies have examined its factor structure, including its measurement invariance and validity, across relevant groups. This information is critical to ensure evidence-based use of the measure while minimizing the risk of inaccurate interpretation.
Utilizing a sample of 259 youth, aged 8-16 years ( = 11.7, = 2.4; 63% female), and their caregivers, the factor structure of the CATS was examined, and the optimal factor structure was tested for measurement invariance and construct validity across relevant groups.
A three-factor structure based on criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder that includes "reexperiencing," "avoidance," and "perceived sense of threat" factors based on six items from the total scale was identified as optimal for both CATS self- and caregiver-report (self: ² = 7.514, root-mean-square error of approximation = .032, comparative fit index = .995, Tucker-Lewis index = .988, standardized root-mean-square residual = .024; caregiver: ² = 9.663, root-mean-square error of approximation = .049, comparative fit index = .989, Tucker-Lewis index = .971, standardized root-mean-square residual = .032). In addition, measurement invariance was found for this three-factor structure for CATS self-report across youth age, sex, and race. In addition, concurrent validity was found for the CATS self-report total score, as evidenced by significant positive associations with self-reported depression symptoms.
These findings support the use of the total score based on the six-item three-symptom version of the CATS that is based on criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder. Further, these results provide some of the first replicable support for this three-factor structure of the CATS and suggest its use as a highly efficient, short-form screener that may be administered easily across clinical settings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).
儿童和青少年创伤筛查量表（CATS）是一种广泛用于评估青少年创伤后应激症状的工具；然而，很少有研究考察其在相关群体中的因子结构，包括测量不变性和效度。这些信息对于确保基于证据使用该量表并将错误解读的风险降至最低至关重要。
利用259名8至16岁青少年（平均年龄 = 11.7，标准差 = 2.4；63%为女性）及其照顾者的样本，考察了CATS的因子结构，并对最优因子结构进行了跨相关群体的测量不变性和结构效度检验。
基于创伤后应激障碍标准确定的一个三因子结构被确定为CATS自我报告和照顾者报告的最优结构，该结构包括基于总量表中六个项目的“重新体验”“回避”和“感知到的威胁感”因子（自我报告：卡方 = 7.514，近似均方根误差 = .032，比较拟合指数 = .995，塔克-刘易斯指数 = .988，标准化均方根残差 = .024；照顾者报告：卡方 = 9.663，近似均方根误差 = .049，比较拟合指数 = .989，塔克-刘易斯指数 = .971，标准化均方根残差 = .032）。此外，发现该三因子结构在青少年年龄、性别和种族方面的CATS自我报告中具有测量不变性。此外，CATS自我报告总分具有同时效度，自我报告的抑郁症状与之显著正相关证明了这一点。
这些发现支持使用基于创伤后应激障碍标准的CATS六项三症状版本的总分。此外，这些结果为CATS的这一三因子结构提供了一些首批可重复的支持，并表明其可作为一种高效、简短的筛查工具，可在临床环境中轻松实施。（PsycInfo数据库记录（c）2025美国心理学会，保留所有权利）
