Assessment of traumatic experiences among young children: Examining measurement factors that influence parent report and predictability

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Project Summary/Abstract Exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) has become an important public health issue given that as much as 75% of children experience at least one PTE before reaching adolescence and approximately half of these children will demonstrate impairments or delays in their behavioral, academic, social, or physical health. However, the field of research that seeks to better understand the connection between PTE exposure and children's well-being continues to develop from inadequate practices in PTE exposure assessment with no commonly accepted and validated approaches when relying on caregiver report for a child's experiences. Understanding best practices of PTE assessment from caregiver report is essential for creating accurate and replicable research on PTE exposure in children, as well as guiding clinical practice in identifying children for services while also minimizing service cost and burden. The proposed study will address these gaps in understanding by providing empirical data that examines the content and accuracy of information on children's PTE exposure obtained between questionnaire and interview formats (Aim 1) and tests the predictive power of information obtained between different levels of assessment detail or depth (Aim 2). Participants will include 160 children ages 3-7 and their caregiver, drawn from a larger, longitudinal R01, the “Preschoolers' Adjustment and Intergenerational Risk” (PAIR) Project. The current study will improve on past methodological weaknesses by using equivalent assessment tools across formats to isolate factors associated with format and not simply content of the measure, while also utilizing novel statistical approaches to determine the utility of information obtained on children's PTEs (e.g., type, frequency, severity). The results from this study will help advance the field by determining the strengths and weaknesses of PTE assessment approaches in their ability to predict the influence of PTE on children's functioning. The training plan developed for the project will allow for the successful completion of the project and development of the applicant toward the next stages in the applicant's research career. This project will permit training for the applicant in (a) a wide array of trauma assessment instruments, (b) advanced statistical techniques, (c) trauma informed care practices, (d) responsible conduct of research, and (e) manuscript and grant writing. The training team involved on the proposed project is well-suited for achieving these training goals and addressing the research aims of the project. Further, the training environment at the University of Kansas and established infrastructure through of the PAIR Project will provide the applicant with the necessary resources to successfully carry out the proposed project.