FITT Assessment Tables
A comprehensive assessment of the impact of trauma on the family recognizes and aims to measure the
impact of traumatic events and contextual stressors on each member of the family, on family relationships,
and on the family as a whole. Such a comprehensive assessment provides a necessary framework for
understanding the treatment needs of the family and for developing an ecological, family-centered
intervention plan.
The FITT Assessment Tables was developed by the FITT Team with input from the FITT Toolkit Expert
Panel and the NCTSN Family Systems Workgroup. The following list of recommended assessments
highlight the useful instruments for measuring the impact of traumatic events and contextual stressors on
each member of the family, on multiple family subsystems, and on the family as a whole.
The instruments included were selected after a comprehensive review of the literature on family trauma and
input from providers of trauma services nationwide. These recommendations are based on:
o
the instruments' clinical utility,
o
feasibility of use within clinical settings, and
o
psychometric properties.
Assessment of Impact of the Adult:
Name of
Instrument
Author(s)
Domains Assessed
Where to obtain
Psychometric
Properties
PTSD Checklist
(PCL)
Weathers et
al., 1993
Diagnostic criteria for PTSD
Request from National
Center for PTSD:
http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/
ncmain/assessment/
assessmt_request_form.html
Strong evidence
for reliability
and validity
Life Stressor
ChecklistRevised
Wolfe,
Kimerling,
Brown,
Chrestman, &
Levin, 2003
Questionnaire about stressful
life events. Covers disasters,
accidents, incarceration,
foster/adoption, parental
divorce, financial problems,
physical or mental illnesses,
victim of crimes, child abuse,
neglect, miscarriage or
abortion, separation from your
child, grief, etc.
Write to: Rachel Kimerling,
PhD; Education Division
National Center for PTSD;
VA Palo Alto Health Care
System; Building 334-PTSD;
795 Willow Road; Menlo
Park, CA 94025
Strong evidence
for reliability
and validity
Brief Symptom
Inventory (BSI)
Derogatis,
1993
Inventory of psychological
symptoms. The BSI yields three
global indices of distress,
Global Severity Index (GSI)
and nine subscales including
Anxiety, Depression, Hostility,
Obsessive-Compulsive,
Somatization, Interpersonal
Sensitivity, Phobic Anxiety,
Paranoid Ideation,
Psychoticism.
Pearson Assessment
Strong evidence
for reliability
and validity
Assessment of Impact on the Child: Note: Recommend the use of a full trauma history screen covering a broad
range of event types, such as the TESI or the first section of the UCLA PTSD Index. The recommended instruments are
consistent with the NCTSN Core Data Set.
UCLA PTSD
Index for DSMIV
Pynoos et al.,
1998
Instrument keyed to DSM-IV
PTSD symptoms for youth who
report traumatic stress
experiences.
Trauma
Symptom
Checklist for
Children
(TSCC)
Briere, 1996
A measure of PTSD and related
symptoms, including those
related to complex trauma
disorders [41]. TSCC comprises
2 validity scales and 6 clinical
subscales (Anxiety, Depression,
Anger, Posttraumatic Stress,
Sexual Concerns, Dissociation).
Trauma
Symptom
Checklist for
Young Children
(TSCYC)
Briere, 2000
The instrument contains eight
clinical scales: Posttraumatic
Stress-Intrusion (PTSI),
Posttraumatic Stress-Avoidance
(PTS-AV), Posttraumatic
Stress-Arousal (PTS-AR),
Sexual Concerns (SC),
Dissociation (DIS), Anxiety
(ANX), Depression (DEP), and
Anger/Aggression (ANG).
Request from: UCLA
PTSD Index for DSM-IV:
UCLA Trauma Psychiatry
Service; 300 Medical Plaza;
Los Angeles, CA 900956968. Phone: (310) 2068973 Email:
HFinley@mednet.ucla.edu
Psychological Assessment
Resources
Strong evidence
for reliability
and validity
Psychological Assessment
Resources
Strong evidence
for reliability
and validity
Strong evidence
for reliability
and validity
Child Behavior
Checklist
(CBCL)
Achenbach &
Edelbrock,
1991
The instrument measures 8-9
subscales that can be collapsed
into Internalizing,
Externalizing, and a Total
Problem Score.
ASEBA
Well validated
Assessment of Impact on Adult Intimate Partners:
Revised Conflict
Tactics Scales
(CTS2)
Strauss,
Hamby,
Boney-McCoy,
& Sugarman,
1996
Scales measuring the physical
and psychological attacks on a
partner in a marital, cohabiting,
or dating relationship. Also
looks at use of reasoning or
negotiation to deal with
conflicts. Scales include:
physical assault, psychological
aggression, negotiation, and
injury & sexual coercion.
Western Psychological
Services
Well validated
Assessment of Impact on Parenting Practices:
Parenting Stress
Index (PSI)
Abidin, 1990
Parental distress (contributing
parental factors), difficult child
(contributing child factors),
parent-child dysfunction
interaction
Psychological Assessment
Resources
Strong evidence
for reliability
and validity
Alabama
Parenting
Questionnaire
Frick, 1991
Assesses: Positive involvement
w/kids,
Monitoring/Supervision, Use of
positive discipline techniques,
Consistency of discipline, Use
of Corporal Punishment, Other
Discipline Practices
Link:
http://fs.uno.edu/pfrick/
APQ.html
Strong evidence
for reliability
and validity
Assessment of Impact on Parent-Child Relationship:
Parent-Child
Conflict Tactic
Scales (CTSPCCA)
Straus,
Hamby,
Finkelhor,
Moore,
Runyan, 1995
Parent-Child
Conflict Tactic
Scales (CTS PC)
Straus,
Hamby,
Finkelhor,
Moore,
Runyan, 1998
Measures the frequency of
parents’ behavior related to
discipline, aggression, assault,
neglect, and sexual abuse and
the extent to which parents
carried out specific acts of
physical or psychological
aggression, regardless of
whether or not the child is
injured.
Areas assessed: Nonviolent
discipline, physical assault,
neglect, psychological
aggression, weekly discipline, &
sexual abuse. Focuses on
parent's experiences with their
child, but also asks about
parent's own experiences as a
child.
Copyrighted, permission
required for use.
Information link:
http://pubpages.unh.edu/
~mas2/CTS24D.pdf
Some evidence
for reliability
and validity
Western Psychological
Services
Strong evidence
for reliability
and validity
Assessment of Impact on Sibling Relationship: Note: Sibling relationships can be important to the response
and adaptation to trauma, however, no instruments were endorsed in this section.
Assessment of Intergenerational Impact: Note: Intergeneration issues can be important to the response and
adaptation to trauma, however, no instruments were endorsed in this section.
Assessment of Impact on the Family Note: We offer two options for assessment of the family based on the
provider's interest and consistency with intervention strategies used. We are not enthusiastic about either instrument and
feel that development of a family trauma assessment instrument would be an important contribution to the field.