Developed at the National Center for PTSD and the UCLA Trauma Psychiatry Program, the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for Children and Adolescents (CAPS-CA) is the standard tool for assessing posttraumatic stress disorder in 8- to 15-year-olds. Like its counterpart for adults, Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), this user-friendly semistructured interview is ideal for screening, differential diagnosis, confirmation of a PTSD diagnosis, or identifying Acute Stress Disorder.
The CAPS–CA consists of 36 carefully worded interview questions that target DSM-IV criteria for PTSD without leading the respondent. These items assess the frequency and intensity of 17 PTSD symptoms and their impact on developmental, social, and academic functioning.
The CAPS–CA helps clinicians evaluate reports of exposure to trauma, assess overall symptom severity, and determine whether a current or lifetime diagnosis of PTSD is indicated. The scale also offers a Life Events Checklist, with just 17 items, that can help identify precipitating traumatic events. The CAPS-CA is sensitive to clinical change and therefore useful in monitoring treatment progress.
The CAPS–CA has gained international acceptance because it is psychometrically sound and because it is flexible and easy to use. It provides several administration and scoring options suited to various clinical needs.
Supported by 10 years of research, the CAPS–CA is a highly useful and flexible tool for evaluating PTSD in children and younger adolescents.
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