Journal Article Ahead of print
PubMed: 42461730 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2026.2697485
Psychometric Evaluation of the English Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5-Child and Adolescent Version (CAPS-CA-5).
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol
Authors: Caitlin M Pinciotti, Nazan Aksan, Ace A Castillo, Cody G Dodd, Kendall N Drummond, Erika S Trent, Kevin M Wagner, David B Riddle, Eric A Storch, Wayne K Goodman, Amir Abu-Samaha, Leslie Proch, Leslie K Taylor, Israel Liberzon, Amy S Garrett, Fei Teng, Jeffrey D Shahidullah, Justin F Rousseau, D Jeffrey Newport, Karen Dineen Wagner, Charles B Nemeroff
Affiliations
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine.
- Office of Research, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch.
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
- University of North Texas Health Science Center.
- John Peter Smith (JPS) Health Network,TX.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center, McGovern Medical School.
- Department of Psychiatry, Texas A&M University Health Systems.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Dell Medical School.
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
- Peter O'Donnel Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
Despite its widespread use for diagnosing and assessing the severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among youth, psychometric evaluation of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for Children and Adolescents - DSM-5 (CAPS-CA-5) is limited to Portuguese- and Japanese-translated versions. Accordingly, the present study examined the reliability, validity, and diagnostic utility of the CAPS-CA-5 in an English-speaking, U.S. sample of trauma-exposed youth enrolled in the Texas Childhood Trauma Research Network (TX-CTRN).
METHOD
A total of 3,134 trauma-exposed youth and young adults aged 8-20 completed an assessment battery in English comprising semi-structured diagnostic interviews and measures of acute stress symptoms, externalizing symptoms, depressive symptoms, resilience, and suicidality. The CAPS-CA-5 was administered at baseline and one-month follow-up.
RESULTS
Consistent with the original CAPS-CA, internal consistency was adequate-to-strong for the total score and all subscales except Avoidance, and test-retest reliability was strong. The CAPS-CA-5 evidenced convergent validity with a positive PTSD screen on the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents and with acute stress symptoms. Externalizing symptoms, depressive symptoms, resilience, and suicidality all evidenced discriminant validity with the CAPS-CA-5. Cutoff scores were evaluated using Receiver Operating Curves and diagnostic utility was supported through the ability of the CAPS-CA-5 to differentiate categories of functional impairment, which varied by age and sex.
CONCLUSIONS
This study, the first to provide psychometric support for the English version of the CAPS-CA-5 in a U.S. sample, contributes to a growing body of literature supporting the CAPS-CA-5 as a psychometrically valid PTSD interview across a range of nationalities and languages.
MeSH
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Stress, Physiological, Signs And Symptoms, Adolescent, Psychometrics, Wounds And Injuries, Child