Assessment of functional impairment related to post-traumatic stress in children and adolescents: a systematic review.
Alexandra J Vogt, Markus A Landolt, Ingeborg Skjærvø et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review evaluated 15 instruments for assessing post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and related functional impairment in children and adolescents. The review included studies published from January 2010 to November 2025, identifying significant variability in the domains assessed and scoring methods. Only 20.7% of the studies reported psychometric properties for the functional impairment measures, indicating a lack of standardization in the tools available.
Key findings
- Thirty papers were included, identifying 15 instruments for assessing PTSS-related functional impairment.
- The instruments assessed 11 different life domains, showing considerable variability in coverage.
- Approximately half of the instruments used dichotomous response formats, while others employed multi-categorical scales.
- Only 20.7% of publications reported psychometric properties for the functional impairment scales.
Why it matters
Understanding the functional impairment associated with PTSD in youth is crucial for effective diagnosis and treatment. Clinicians need reliable and standardized tools to assess these impairments to provide appropriate interventions.