The Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale: Dimensionality and Measurement Invariance in a Sample of Children and Adolescents Exposed to Wildfires

AbstractNatural disasters are potentially traumatic events due to their disruptive nature and high impact on social and physical environments, particularly for children and adolescents. The present study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale (CRIES ‐13) in a sample of Portuguese children and adolescents exposed to a specific type of natural disaster (i.e., wildfire). The sample was recruited at six school units of the Central region of Portugal following wildfires in the summer of 2017 and included children and adolescents without a clinical diagnosis of a psychopathological condition associated with exposure to the traumatic event (i.e., nonclinical sample,n = 486) and those with a clinical diagnosis of a trauma ‐ and/or stress‐related disorder (i.e., posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], adjustment disorder, separation anxiety disorder, or grief; clinical sample,n = 54). Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a two ‐factor model (i.e., Intrusion/Arousal and Avoidance) provided a better fit than a three‐factor model (i.e., Intrusion, Arousal, and Avoidance) and was found to be invariant across gender and age groups. The CRIES‐13 showed good reliability for all subscales, with Cronbach's αs> .79. Higher CRIES ‐13 scores were associated with poorer health and well‐being and more internalizing and externalizing problems. The clinical sample presented with significantly higher CRIES‐13 scores than ...
Source: Journal of Traumatic Stress - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: RESEARCH ARTICLE Source Type: research