Screening for Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Young Refugees: Comparison of Questionnaire Data with and without Involvement of an Interpreter

Background: The substantial number of young refugees who have arrived in Europe since 2015 requires rapid screening to identify those in need of treatment. However, translated versions of screening measures are not always available, necessitating the support of interpreters. The Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen (CATS) is a validated questionnaire for posttraumatic stress symptoms. Here, we report on the psychometric properties of the CATS in a sample of young refugees as a function of interpreter involvement. Methods: A total of N = 145 (Mage = 16.8, SD = 1.54; 93% male) were assessed with the CATS, with half of the screenings conducted with and half without interpreters. Post hoc analyses included calculating internal consistency using Cronbach’s α. We used confirmative factor analysis to investigate the factor structure. Results: The CATS total scale showed good reliability (α = 0.84). Differences in psychometric properties between the interpreter vs. the no interpreter group were minor and tended to be in favor of the interpreter group. Results of a confirmatory factor analysis were acceptable after the exclusion of items with low item-scale correlations. Conclusions: The sample and the administration of the assessment represent the situation of young refugees in Germany, where resources are low and translated versions not always available. The CATS may be a helpful screening tool for clinicians working with young refugees, even when administered with an interpreter. Limitations include the post hoc design of the analysis without randomization of participants and the lack of a third comparison group using translated questionnaire versions.

Translation and Adaptation of the Spanish Version of the Child and Adolescent Trauma Screening CATS-C following ITC Guidelines for Translating and Adapting Test

The aim of this report is to present each of the stages taken to adapt the Child and Adolescent Trauma Screening (CATS-C) to Spanish.Each stage has been carried out rigorously, following the ITC Guidelines for Translating and Adapting Tests (Second Edition, 2017) published by the ITC (International Test Commission). This guide sets out a series of procedures and standards of good practice to be followed in order to comply with both legal and ethical principles and the standards of good practice established in relation to the use of tests in research.The Spanish adaptation of the CATS-C has been carried out by different members of the Believe Project. The Believe Project is part of the Pnínsula Research Group, which is located in The Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center at the University of Granada (Spain). This project centers on psychological and neuropsychological impairments acquired by female victims and survivors of intimate partner violence. A high percentage of women suffering intimate partner violence develop PTSD.In turn, we will carry out a similar project with the children who are victims and survivors of IPV with adapted test for this population. We will include the CATS-C questionnaire to measure posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as we have done previously with the adults version for female survivors of IPV. We consider that a high percentage of women suffering intimate partner violence develop PTSD and their children can develop PTSD as direct or indirect victims too. For this reason, our research group is interested in translating a specific measure for PTSD for children and adolescents following DSM-5 criteria.

Internalizing Symptoms Among Youth in Foster Care: Prevalence and Associations with Exposure to Maltreatment

Among youth in foster care (N = 303, aged 11–17 years), we investigated prevalence of internalizing symptoms; associations between symptom level and maltreatment types and numbers; and the interaction between gender and maltreatment, on internalizing symptoms. Youth completed Spence Children Anxiety Scale, Short Mood Feelings Questionnaire, and Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen. Compared to community samples, symptom levels above clinical cut-off was more frequent, with social- and generalized anxiety (ES = 0.78–0.88) being most prevalent among youth in foster care. Girls reported more internalizing symptoms (ES = 0.59–0.93). Sexual abuse and neglect were associated with a broader range of internalizing symptoms (ES = 0.35–0.64). Increased incidence of maltreatment was associated with increased levels of symptoms (ES = 0.21–0.22). Associations between maltreatment and symptom level were stronger for girls. This study stresses the importance of broad screening of maltreatment and internalizing symptoms to meet the needs of youth in foster care.