Revision and validation of Child Behavior Check List – Post‐traumatic Stress Disorder Scale in Tamil

Objective: To revise, translate, explore the construct validity and define the sensitivity of the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL‐PTSD). Method: Language and content experts revised the translated CBCL‐PTSD scale. This 13‐item CBCL‐PTSD‐TR scale was administered to 100 adolescents who had undergone various traumatic life events. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted. Screening threshold was determined for the final six‐item version. Results: The DSM IV‐TR construct for PTSD was reflected in the CBCL‐PTSD‐TR scale by the exploratory factor analysis and provided information for refining the instrument. A CBCL‐PTSD‐TR cut‐off score of 0.5 was an effective threshold for screening purposes. Conclusions: We were able to show that the CBCL‐PTSD‐TR scale compiled from the original CBCL scale items has satisfactory construct validity of DSM‐IV‐TR and can be used for screening adolescents with PTSD. Implications for assessment and treatment utilization are discussed.