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Jeong, Kim, Bae, Kim, Go, and Kim: Factorial Validity and Psychometric Properties of the Korean Version of the Children's Response to Traumatic Events Scale-Revised in Recently Traumatized School Children
Original Article
Journal of Korean Neuropsychiatric Association

Journal of Korean Neuropsychiatric Association 2012; 51(4): 185-191.

Published online: 30 July 2012

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4306/jknpa.2012.51.4.185

Factorial Validity and Psychometric Properties of the Korean Version of the Children's Response to Traumatic Events Scale-Revised in Recently Traumatized School Children

Yourhee Jeong, MD1, Daeho Kim, MD, PhD1, Hwallip Bae, MD, PhD2, Seok-hyeon Kim, MD, PhD1, Bokja Go, MD, PhD3, Sun-Hyun Kim, PhD4

1Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.

2Department of Psychiatry, St. Andrew's Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Icheon, Korea.

3Department of Psychiatry, Incheon Christian Hospital, Incheon, Korea.

4Postgraduate School of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, CHA University, Pocheon, Korea.

Address for correspondence: Daeho Kim, MD, PhD. Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, 153 Gyeongchun-ro, Guri 471-701, Korea. Tel +82-31-560-2274, Fax +82-31-554-2599, dkim9289@hanyang.ac.kr

Received 5 March 2012       Revised 8 May 2012       Accepted 18 May 2012

Copyright © 2012 Korean Neuropsychiatric Association

Abstract

Objectives

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children is prevalent and often persists for many years after the trauma. Therefore, screening and early detection using psychometrically sound instruments is a pivotal element of appropriate management. This study tested the reliability and validity of a Korean version of the Child Reaction to Traumatic Events Scale-Revised (K-CRTES-R) in a sample of recently traumatized school children.

Methods

The K-CRTES was administered to a total of 464 school children aged ten to twelve who had witnessed or had been confronted with a tragic accident involving three deaths. Internal consistency, two week test-retest reliability, and construct validity were assessed. A non-random portion of participants also completed the State Anxiety Inventory and the Subjective Unit of Distress Scale for testing convergent validity. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted for a random half of participants (n=232), and, for the remaining half, we tested the model fit by performance of confirmatory factor analysis.

Results

Two week test-retest reliability was high (r=0.85), and internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach α=0.92). The total score for the K-CRTES-R showed significant correlation with state anxiety and subjective level of anxiety, thus confirming its convergent validity. In addition, the K-CRTES-R distinguished between direct exposure and indirect confrontation, demonstrating the discriminant validity of the scale. In addition, we confirmed the factorial validity by identifying a two-factor structure (intrusion-hyperarousal and avoidance) that explained 56% of the total variance. This two factor solution and other previously suggested PTSD models showed fit indices that were within an acceptable range.

Conclusion

Findings of our study indicate that the K-CRTES-R is a good measure of reliability and validity that can be used to assess the impact of trauma in Korean speaking children.

Keywords: The Child Reaction to Traumatic Events Scale-Revised, Reliability and validity, Trauma, Children, Posttraumatic stress disorder

Figures and Tables

Table 1
Principal component analysis* of the Korean version of the Child Reaction to Traumatic Events Scale-Revised (n=232)
jkna-51-185-i001

* : Varimax rotation with Kaiser normalization. Loadings smaller than 0.30 are not displayed

Table 2
Goodness of fit indices from models of posttraumatic symtpoms in recently traumatized children (n=232)
jkna-51-185-i002

* : From exploratory factor analysis in this study, † : Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, Fourth Edition model, ‡ : By Simms et al.26). GFI : Goodness-of-fit index, NFI : Normed fit index, CFI : Comparative fit index, RMSEA : Root mean square error of approximation

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