Translation, validation and exploration of the factor structure in the French version of the Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI)

Abstract

Le Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI) is one of the most used instruments to assess posttraumatic cognitions. Since its release, many studies have tried to validate and translate this questionnaire, but they had difficulty to confirm its structure and then suggested alternatives. Faced with no consensus, a short version in nine statements was developed and showed good psychometric properties. To date, no French version of the PTCI has been validated, thereby preventing studies from investigating the role of posttraumatic cognitions in French speaking populations. Objectives In order to validate a French version of the PTCI, this study investigates two objectives using two French speaking samples: (1) test 10 factor structures identified in prior studies, and (2) assess the other psychometric properties of the best fitting factor structure. Method The PTCI was translated in French using a reverse translation method and administered to 202 university students and 114 aid workers. Suitability indexes of the appropriate factor structures previously identified in prior studies were examined. Internal consistency, correlations between subscales and convergent, divergent and discriminant validities in the most appropriate structure were evaluated. Results Results support that only Wells et al.'s short 9-item version of the PTCI and three factors shows excellent suitability indexes. This version also outlines an excellent internal consistency and solid convergent, divergent, and discriminant validities. Conclusions This study confirms the empirical validity, fidelity, and utility of Wells et al.'s short version of the PTCI. This is the first PTCI French validation, which is a major advantage when it comes to assess posttraumatic cognitions in French trauma victims.

Psychometric Properties of the Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory-9 items in an Iranian sample

“…The analysis revealed that the 3-factor structure best fitted the data. This is the same as the Wells' PTCI-9 structure model and previous studies that have confirmed 3 factors structure 15,16,23,24 . Although the literature supports the 3 factors model for PTCI-9, the PTCI did not fulfill a consistent factor structure, nor consistent validity in recent studies 23 .…”

“…The Persian version of PTCI-9 demonstrated strong internal consistency (α=.74); same as the French version of PTCI-9 that has been developed and studied recently (α = .78 to .80). 16 Internal consistency through Cronbach's alpha was confirmed for the total scale and the 3 subscales. This finding supported the original study done by Wells (2019); they found strong internal consistency (α =.87) and also strong associations between PTCI-9 scores and PTSD measures.…”

“…To be noted, the French version of PTCI-9 has been developed and studied recently (α = .78 to .80). 16 Although the PTCI-9 is short and user-friendly, Iranian population cannot use it yet, as its' psychometric features in the Iranian population were unclear by now. This study aimed to translate the PTCI-9 into Persian language and report the psychometrics properties in the Iranian community, consequently.…”

Morally injurious events among aid workers: examining the indirect effect of negative cognitions and self-care in associations with mental health indicators

“…The Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory -9 (PTCI-9; Wells et al, 2019 ; Lebel et al, 2022 ) is a nine-item measure of trauma-related negative cognitions that includes three subscales: negative cognitions about the “self” describes a negative view of oneself and a loss of self-trust (e.g., “I feel like I don’t know myself anymore”); negative cognitions about the world focuses on how the world is fundamentally unsafe and others are untrustworthy (e.g., “People can’t be trusted”); lastly, negative cognitions about self-blame suggests that one is to blame for what happened (e.g., “Somebody else would not have gotten into the situation”). Items are rated on a seven-point Likert scale (1 = totally disagree, 7 = totally agree).…”

Factor structure, measurement invariance, and psychometric properties of the Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI) and its brief version (PTCI-9) in Chinese adolescents and adults.

“…The original psychometric study demonstrated a high internal consistency reliability estimate and good convergent and discriminative validity (Foa et al, 1999). To date, the PTCI has been translated into Dutch (van Emmerik et al, 2006), Chinese (Su & Chen, 2008), German (Müller et al, 2010), Hebrew (Daie-Gabai et al, 2011), Turkish (Güleç et al, 2013), Portuguese (Sbardelloto et al, 2013), Korean (Shin et al, 2020), and French (Lebel et al, 2022) and validated in various samples. These findings consistently indicate good psychometric characteristics of the PTCI; however, the factor structure remains controversial.…”