Psychometric Properties of the Turkish Version of the Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI) in a Non-Clinical Sample

Abstract

Background: Cognitive theories of posttraumatic stress disorder have increasingly been recognised. The Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory is a promising self-report instrument to assess negative cognitions associated with posttraumatic distress. Method: In this study, we examined the psychometric properties of the Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory in 653 non-clinical Turkish college students. 185 participants reported having experienced various types of trauma. Results: Confirmatory factor analyses replicated the original three-factor structure without excluding any items. Total and subscale scores of the instrument revealed strong connections with severity of depression, anxiety, and dissociative symptoms. Concurrent validity of the Self-Blame subscale was specific to subtype of trauma. The total and the subscales of the instrument had high internal consistency and adequate temporal stability over a two-week interval with an exception of the Self-Blame subscale. The correlation coefficient between the two applications was extremely low for the subscale. Conclusion: We assume that the Self-Blame subscale fails to perform well among individuals who had experienced an aversive event other than interpersonal trauma. The PTCI revealed adequate reliability and validity in a nonclinical Turkish sample.