Measurement invariance and psychometric properties of the CCAPS for international student clients

Objectives: International students attending universities in the United States may encounter psychological distress related to their adjustment and experiences studying in a new context and seek services from university counseling centers. Many centers use the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS) to measure psychological distress in college counseling centers. However, this scale has not been tested for measurement invariance with international students. Our purpose was to explore the measurement invariance of the CCAPS-62 and -34 for international students. Methods: We tested measurement invariance for both versions of the scale using data from over 107,000 university students in psychotherapy at university counseling centers. We also examined construct validity and internal consistency. Results: Invariance testing indicated the measurement models of the CCAPS-62 and -34 are equivalent between both groups. Conclusion: These findings are discussed in light of utilizing this widely-used scale in United States university/college counseling centers with international student clients.