Unique Factor Structures Of The Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale And Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory And Their Relation To PTSD Symptom Clusters In Maltreated Youth

Adolescents who have experienced maltreatment are at enhanced risk for posttraumatic disorder (PTSD) and posttraumatic symptoms (PTS). Two key aspects of PTSD/PTS include dissociation and trauma-related cognitions, and these constructs are often measured via the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (ADES) and Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI). Unfortunately, little is known regarding the potential unique factor structures of these measures for maltreated youth with PTSD/PTS. Such knowledge would help clinicians develop more targeted assessments and clinical profiles for these youth. The primary aim of the present study was thus to examine the factor structures of the ADES and PTCI in a sample of 279 maltreated youth with PTSD/PTS (Mage = 14.25 years, SD = 1.78). A secondary aim was to identify whether identified factor structures from the present study sample of maltreated youth better predicted key PTSD symptom clusters of reexperiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal compared to factor structures reported in previous literature. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed factor structures unique to this sample that better met goodness-of-fit criteria compared to other factor structures. These unique factor structures also displayed invariance across gender and age groups. In addition, the unique factor structure of the PTCI but not the ADES was a better predictor of reexperiencing and avoidance symptoms in maltreated youth compared to other factor structures in the literature. The results indicate that assessment protocols for maltreated youth with posttraumatic symptoms should be more closely tailored to the unique aspects of this population