Application of the Chinese Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist to adolescent earthquake survivors in China

We investigated the incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder among 2,448 middle-school students in Sichuan Province, China, soon after the Wenchuan earthquake occurred on May 12, 2008. We also tested the reliability and validity of a Chinese version of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version (Weathers, Litz, Huska, & Keane, 1994) with this group. PTSD occurred more frequently among females compared with males, and among those exposed directly, indirectly, or not at all to the earthquake, the highest incidence of PTSD was among the group exposed directly. Among 3 groups aged between 11 and 13, 14 and 15, and 16 and 18, the highest incidence of PTSD was in students aged 14 and 15. Compared with other groups those with the highest incidence of PTSD were students with low socioeconomic status, who witnessed the earthquake, had heavy loss of their houses and other possessions, and whose family members were casualties. Factor analysis showed that the 3-factor model of the PCL-C had good construct validity. The internal consistency of Cronbach’s alpha and split-half reliability was also satisfactory. Therefore, the PCL-C was determined to be a reliable instrument to detect PTSD among Chinese adolescents exposed to the earthquake.