Psychometric properties of the impact of events scale in traumatized Cambodian refugee youth

The objective to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Impact of Events Scale (IES), in a sample of Khmer adolescent refugee youth. The IES was administered to 180 Khmer refugee youths as part of a comprehensive diagnostic assessment to determine the aftermath of war trauma. Validation or criterion in childhood diagnoses of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder were also generated using an interview format with the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents (DICA). Analytic studies of reliability, content, construct and criterion validity as well as screening characteristics were undertaken. The three factor solution from a reported Caucasian study of traumatized youth was replicated in this sample of Cambodian youth. All but 2 of the 15 items of the IES significantly discriminated Cambodian youth diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from those not so diagnosed. The IES showed only a modest ability to accurately screen for the diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder itself. The IES appears to function adequately as a self report measure of trauma in this sample of non-Caucasian youth. However, it should not be used as a substitute for a full assessment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.