Functional Posttraumatic Cognitions Questionnaire (FPTCQ)

The self-report measure is designed for school-aged children and adolescents who have been exposed to a potentially traumatic event (PTE). The measure consists of 11 functional posttraumatic cognitions (PTCs) rated on a 4-point Likert scale with 0 (don’t agree at all), 1 (don’t agree a bit), 2 (agree a bit), and 3 (agree a lot). Functional PTCs are about accepting that the PTE has happened, realistically evaluating the PTE and its consequences, and continuing one’s life. The FPTCQ was validated in 114 children and adolescents aged 7-15 years exposed to acute accidental PTE (road traffic accident, burn injury). The measure was found to be a reliable and valid measure for standardised assessment of functional PTCs in children and adolescents. Meaningful negative correlations emerged between functional PTCs and self-reported posttraumatic stress symptoms and anxiety (de Haan, Haag, Degen & Landolt, 2021). Further validation studies are needed to determine the appropriateness and utility for children and adolescents exposed to interpersonal PTEs and in clinical settings. de Haan, A., Haag, A.-C., Degen, E., & Landolt, M. A. (2021). Development and validation of the Functional Posttraumatic Cognitions Questionnaire (FPTCQ) in children and adolescents exposed to accidental trauma. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 13(5), 514–521. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000979 Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant 100019_162661) File including items, scale, introductory phrase, contact information, and reference of validation study unknown unknown