PTSD Assessment Instruments

Child and Adolescent Version of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-CA)

The Child and Adolescent version of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-CA) is a structured clinical interview designed to be a developmentally adjusted counterpart to the CAPS for adults. The CAPS-CA interview assesses the seventeen symptoms for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) outlined in DSM-IV along with eight associated features (e.g., guilt, shame, dissociation, changes in attachment behaviors, and trauma-specific fears) and is meant for individuals aged eight through early adolescence. The CAPS-CA provides a means to evaluate:

·        self-reports of exposure to potential Criterion A events;

·        a current and/or lifetime diagnosis of PTSD;

·        the frequency and intensity of each symptom;

·        the impact of the seventeen PTSD symptoms on developmental, social, and scholastic functioning; and

·        the overall severity of PTSD.

The CAPS-CA consists of standardized prompt questions, supplementary follow-up (probe) questions, and behaviorally anchored 5-point rating scales corresponding to the frequency and intensity of each symptom assessed. (A sample CAPS-CA question appears at the bottom of this page.) Additional features to increase utility with children include:

• Iconic representations of the rating scales
• Opportunities to practice with the format prior to questioning
• A standard procedure for identification of the critical one-month time frame for current symptoms

The CAPS-CA is available for a nominal fee to mental-health professionals for clinical or research purposes.

To obtain scale:  

Use our request form.

To obtain training materials and tools:

Click here for more information.

Specific questions or comments about the instrument should be directed to Elana Newman, Ph.D. at the University of Tulsa.

Sample CAPS-CA Question

(B-4) intense psychological distress at exposure to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event

Frequency

B-4af. Did you get upset (bothered, sad, scared) when something made you think of (or reminded you of) (EVENT)? (What kinds of things (reminders) made you upset? [IF CHILD CANNOT PROVIDE EXAMPLES, PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF POSSIBLE REMINDERS RELATED TO THE EVENT]. (Was there anything you did before the event that you don't do anymore?) How many times has that happened this past month / (LIFETIME WORST MONTH)?

0 -- None of the time

1 -- Little of the time, once or twice

2 -- Some of the time, once or twice a week

3 -- Much of the time, several times a week

4 -- Most of the time, daily or almost every day

Description/Examples Intensity

B-4ai. In this past month / (LIFETIME WORST MONTH), how upset (bothered, sad, scared) did you get when you thought about (were reminded of) (EVENT)? What did you do when this happened? (Did you have to stop what you were doing? Were you able to keep doing what you were doing? How did you feel?) How bad has it been this past month/ (LIFETIME WORST MONTH)?

0 -- Not a problem

1 -- A little bit of a problem, mild, minimal distress

2 -- Some, moderate, distress clearly present but still manageable, some disruption of activities

3 -- A lot, severe, considerable distress, marked disruption of activities

4 -- A whole lot, extreme, incapacitating distress, unable to continue activities

QV (SPECIFY) ______________________________

Current: Trauma Related?

unlikely ___ definite ___ probable ____

Lifetime: Trauma Related?

unlikely ___ definite ___ probable ____

Current

F____ I ____ Sx: Y N

Lifetime

F____ I ____ Sx: Y N

Request CAPS-CA