Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children (TSCYC)

Briere, 2005

Description

The TSCYC is a 90-item caretaker-report instrument that can be used to assess PTSD symptoms in children between 3-12 years old. It is made up of 8 clinical scales (Anxiety, Depression, Anger/Aggression, Posttraumatic Stress - Intrusion, Posttraumatic Stress - Avoidance, Posttraumatic Stress - Arousal, Dissociation, and Sexual Concerns) as well as a summary PTSD scale (PTSD Total).

A PTSD diagnostic worksheet provides a possible PTSD diagnosis in children ages 5 and older. It also contains 2 validity scales to assess caretaker over- and under-report of the child's symptoms. Items are rated on a 4 point scale from 1 = "Not at all" to 4 = "Very Often" in reference to the previous month. The TSCYC is normed separately for boys and girls within 3 separate age groups (3-4, 5-9, and 10-12 years old). It can be administered and scored by paraprofessionals.

Sample Items

• Looking sad
• Throwing things at friends or family members

References

Briere, J. (2005) Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children: Professional manual. Florida: Psychological Assessment Resources Inc.

To Obtain Scale

Psychological Assessment Resources
PO Box 998
Odessa, FL 33556
Phone: (800) 331-8378

Available for purchase at http://www3.parinc.com* website.

Measures availability: Information on measures is available to everyone. However, the assessment tools themselves can only be distributed to qualified mental health professionals and researchers. We maintain measures developed by affiliated staff of the National Center for PTSD.