Abstract

There are not many instruments about evaluation of posttraumatic symptomatology in Latin-American children and adolescents. The current study analyzes the psychometric properties of the Child PTSD Symptom Scale CPSS (Foa, Johnson, Feeny y Treadwell, 2001), among young victims of a natural disaster. Regular psychometric analyses were carried out, including an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of the instrument. The structured interview DISC-IV was used as a criterion test. An structure of three first order factors showed the best fit. The scale presented high internal consistency. A score of 24 or more points allowed a sensitivity of 82% and a specificity of 88% according to DISC-IV. These positive psychometric qualities indicate the utility of this scale to be used in chilean children and adolescents.