Please Note: The following test asks you to review previous traumatic experiences. Please forgo the test if you feel it will traumatize you.
The International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) is a self-report measure of ICD-11 post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD).
Basic information |
|
---|---|
Statements: | 18 |
Duration: | 3–5 minutes |
Type: | screening tool |
Authors: | Cloitre, M., Shevlin M., Brewin, C.R., Bisson, J.I., Roberts, N.P., Maercker, A., Karatzias, T., Hyland, P. |
Publishing year: | 2018 |
Seminal paper: | The International Trauma Questionnaire: Development of a self-report measure of ICD-11 PTSD and Complex PTSD. (Cloitre, Shevlin, et al., 2018) |
Take the test here:
Who the test is designed for
-
-
- Adults (age 18+) judged to have an IQ in the normal range (IQ >=85).
- Versions for adolescents and children are also available.
-
Versions & translations
-
-
-
- The ITQ has been translated into 25+ different languages
- Non-adult versions are also available:
- Children and Adolescent Version (ITQ-CA) is a 22 item self-report measure
- For ages 7–17
-
-
Taking the test
The ITQ consists of 18 items, giving you 5 choices for each item:
-
-
- Not at all = 0 points
- A little bit = 1 point
- Moderately = 2 points
- Quite a bit = 3 points
- Extremely = 4 points
-
The ITQ comprises 18 items, broken down into four categories:
-
-
- 9 questions on responses to traumatic or stressful events (PTSD)
- 3 questions on the affects of those responses (PTSD)
- 6 statements on how true a statement is of you (CPTSD)
- 3 questions on those beliefs and emotions (CPTSD)
-
Scoring
1. Diagnostic scoring for PTSD and CPTSD
PTSD
- If P1 or P2 > 2 criteria for Re-experiencing in the here and now (Re_dx) met
- If P3 or P4 > 2 criteria for Avoidance (Av_dx) met
- If P5 or P6 > 2 criteria for Sense of current threat (Th_dx) met
AND
- At least one of P7, P8, or P9 > 2 meets criteria for PTSD functional impairment (PTSDFI)
- If criteria for ‘Re_dx’ AND ‘Av_dx’ AND ‘Th_dx’ AND ‘PTSDFI’ are met
- Then criteria for PTSD are met.
CPTSD
- If C1 or C2 > 2 criteria for Affective dysregulation (AD_dx) met
- If C3 or C4 > 2 criteria for Negative self-concept (NSC_dx) met
- If C5 or C6 > 2 criteria for Disturbances in relationships (DR_dx) met
- AND
- At least one of C7, C8, or C9 > 2 meets criteria for DSO functional impairment (DSOFI)
- If criteria for ‘AD_dx’ AND ‘NSC_dx’ AND ‘DR_dx’, and ‘DSOFI’ are met, the criteria for DSO are met.
Diagnosis
- PTSD is diagnosed if the criteria for PTSD are met but NOT for DSO.
- CPTSD is diagnosed if the criteria for PTSD are met AND criteria for DSO are met.
- Not meeting the criteria for PTSD or meeting only the criteria for DSO results in no diagnosis.
2. Dimensional scoring for PTSD and CPTSD.
Scores can be calculated for each PTSD and DSO symptom cluster and summed to produce PTSD and DSO scores.
PTSD
Sum of Likert scores for P1 and P2 = Re-experiencing in the here and now score (Re) Sum of Likert scores for P3 and P4 = Avoidance score (Av)
Sum of Likert scores for P5 and P6 = Sense of current threat (Th)
PTSD score = Sum of Re, Av, and Th
DSO
Sum of Likert scores for C1 and C2 = Affective dysregulation (AD)
Sum of Likert scores for C3 and C4 = Negative self-concept (NSC)
Sum of Likert scores for C5 and C6 = Disturbances in relationships (DR) DSO score = Sum of AD, NSC, and DR
Validity
How reliable, accurate, valid, and up to date is the test?
-
-
- Psychometric investigations in 2022 of the ITQ have provided good evidence of its reliability and validity as a measure of ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD. [1]A psychometric evaluation of the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) in a trauma-exposed college sample(Camden et al., 2022)
-
Discussion
Natalie:
I disliked having to purposely bring to something upsetting.
I also don’t understand why you can’t have CPTSD without PTSD as that exists in reality.
Kendall:
As an experiment, I did the test three times, with three different traumas—from more than 20 years, 5-10 years, and less than six months ago. The results were similar. This experiment was due to the conundrum of identifying the experience that ‘troubles you the most’. The more recent a trauma, the more it impacts my day-to-day functioning, but distant traumas though currently less active in my mind, are no less troubling. Recalling a traumatic event to take the test is an unfortunate necessity.
The ITQ
Briefly describe the experience that troubles you the most, and indicate how long ago it occurred. Then, for items P1–P9, enter your responses concerning its effects during the past month.
Items C1–C9 refer to the ways you typically feel, typically think about yourself, and typically relate to others. Answer them thinking about how true each statement is of you.
Comments
Let us know what you think!