Comparison of ACE-IQ and CTQ-SF for child maltreatment assessment: Reliability, prevalence, and risk prediction.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Child maltreatment has profound effects on mental health. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire Short Form (CTQ-SF) and the Adverse Childhood Experiences International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ) are commonly used retrospective assessment tools for evaluating child maltreatment.

OBJECTIVE:

This study aims to conduct a comprehensive comparison of the CTQ-SF and ACE-IQ, encompassing internal consistency, prevalence, and the predictive efficacy of trauma-related outcomes. It also seeks to enhance the scoring method of ACE-IQ based on the established comparability between the two instruments.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING:

1484 college students from northern China were recruited, assessing demographic characteristics and outcomes related to traumatic experiences, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), borderline personality disorder (BPD), anxiety, and depression.

METHODS:

A contingency correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the degree of agreement between the CTQ-SF and ACE-IQ. Binary logistic regression models were utilized to compare the predictive capabilities of distinct instruments.

RESULTS:

CTQ-SF and ACE-IQ instruments display favorable internal consistency and notable correlations across shared categories. However, the predictive relationships between trauma type and adverse outcomes are inconsistent across instruments. The ACE-IQ, encompassing 13 trauma categories, demonstrate a lower AIC and BIC index, indicating a superior model fit for elucidating outcomes.

CONCLUSION:

This study introduces a scoring methodology for ACE-IQ, improving the comparability of the two measures and emphasizing the importance of capturing the full range of maltreatment types a child may have experienced. These findings have significant implications for clinical and epidemiological research, providing valuable insights for understanding the impact of child maltreatment.

• Authors: Hang Xu, Man Li, Jinping Cai, Yidan Yuan, Li He, Jing Liu, Li Wang, Weiwen Wang
• Journal: Child abuse & neglect (Child Abuse Negl) Vol. 146 Pg. 106529 (12 2023) ISSN: 1873-7757 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 37931543 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Child
• Humans
• Child Abuse (psychology)
• Prevalence
• Psychometrics
• Reproducibility of Results
• Retrospective Studies
• Surveys and Questionnaires