Factorial Validity of the Short Form of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ—SF) in German Psychiatric Patients, Inmates, and University Students

Abstract

For the purpose of retrospective assessment and characterization of childhood trauma in adults, the factorial validity of the short form of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF) in Germany was evaluated by conducting confirmatory factor analyses for three samples including 1,524 adult psychiatric patients, 224 inmates, and 295 university students. In addition, sex-specific confirmatory factor analyses were performed within each sample. Because several authors have suggested a different factor structure than that originally proposed in the manual, two competing models focusing on the Physical neglect subscale were examined. In psychiatric patients and inmates, the fit indices were reasonable to good. Among the students, factor loadings were markedly lower, and fit indices were poor. Sex-specific analyses did not indicate sex differences. Comparing the original and the alternative models revealed better fit indices of the original factor structure. The present findings indicate that the German version of the CTQ-SF has factorial validity in psychiatric patients and inmates, but not in students.

Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form for inpatients with schizophrenia

“…Overall, the prevalence pattern of the five types of trauma experiences in Chinese patients with schizophrenia as measured by CTQ-SF is similar to some but not all previous reports [16,22,23,46–48]; the discrepancy might be explained by a variety of clinical factors, including the mean age of the patient sample and clinical settings (i.e., inpatient vs. outpatient).…”

“…The Short Form of Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF) is one of the most widely used tools to assess the experience of childhood trauma of both general populations and clinical patients and has become a leading measurement in western countries [14,15]. It also has good performance in the validity and reliability of various language versions [16–21]. However, the psychometric literature regarding the CTQ-SF in schizophrenia is sparse.…”

Endogenous oxytocin response to film scenes of attachment and loss is pronounced in schizophrenia

“…Each subscale includes five items that are rated on five-point Likert scales. Psychometric properties of the original five-factor solution were confirmed for the German translation (Dudeck et al , 2015) and its usefulness was demonstrated in schizophrenia patients (Kim et al , 2013). An authorized German translation of the 16-item Psychosis Attachment Measure (PAM; Berry et al , 2008) estimated two aspects of insecure attachment, anxiety and avoidance (eight items each), by self-report, on a four-point Likert scale.…”

Measurement in Correctional Health Research: Unique Challenges and Strategies for Enhanced Rigor

“…Likewise, the content contained here focuses primarily on the context of the correctional system of the United States. Although important efforts to examine measurement strategies are being made in Canadian, European, and Nordic regions (Bulten, Nijman, & van der Staak, 2009; Dudeck et al, 2015; Martin, 2017), these systems are fundamentally and foundationally different from the U.S. criminal justice system. It is also important to note that identified challenges and recommendations do not target specific subpopulations (e.g., men, women, youth, and older adults).…”