Psychometric properties of the posttraumatic growth inventory for children in chilean population affected by the earthquake of 2010

The present study examines the psychometric properties of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory for Children in its brief version (PTGI-C-R; Kilmer et al., 2009), an inventory that measured positive personal changes that occur after experiencing a traumatic event. The PTGI-C-R was applied to 393 children from 10 to 15 years of age affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Chile February 27, 2010. The scale showed good internal consistency and discriminant validity in relation to an inventory of posttraumatic stress symptoms. It was also able to discriminate between children who had high exposure to the earthquake and children with mild or no exposure. Confirmatory factor analysis showed adequate goodness of fit for a 2-factor structure: general change and spiritual change. The PTGI-C-R also showed factorial invariance in groups of high and low exposure. These positive psychometric qualities indicate the utility of the instrument for use in children and adolescents exposed to natural disasters.