Measuring Traumatic Reactions in Palestinian Children: A Psychometric Assessment of the Children Revised Impact of Event Scale-Arabic Version (CRIES-13A)

• Published in: Child psychiatry and human development 2022-02, Vol.53 (1), p.16-26
• Main Authors: Veronese, Guido, Pepe, Alessandro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aggression; Arabic language; Arabs; Arousal; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Child; Child & adolescent psychiatry; Child and School Psychology; Children; Confirmatory factor analysis; Factor analysis; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; Health status; Humans; Hyperarousal; Intrusion; Male; Measurement; Mental health; Original Article; Psychiatry; Psychology; Psychometrics; Quantitative psychology; Reliability; Reproducibility of Results; Statistical analysis; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology
• ISSN: 0009-398X; 1573-3327
• DOI: 10.1007/s10578-020-01113-2

The aim of the present study was to test the measurement model and measurement invariance of the Impact of Event Scale (Arabic version) in a large sample of Palestinian children. We estimated (Study 1; n = 610) the measurement model using confirmatory factor analysis. In Study 2 (n = 864), we conducted multigroup (girls and boys) tests of measurement invariance. We pooled the data collected from the participants in the first two studies (Study 3, N = 1474) to assess overall score reliability, as well as the IES’ convergent and divergent validity vis-à-vis other measures of child wellbeing and mental health. The outcomes of the statistical analyses supported an invariant 13-item measurement model (intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal) for CRIES-13A. Intrusion and hyper-arousal together made up a first-order domain of symptoms (re-experiencing). The combined findings of these studies suggest that the CRIES-13A displays robust psychometric properties and may be used in contexts of military violence.