Collaborative ECHO research led by Courtney K. Blackwell, PhD of Northwestern University evaluated COVID-19 pandemic-related traumatic stress in a large sample of children and adults. In March 2020, ECHO researchers developed the Pandemic-related Traumatic Stress Scale (PTSS) to measure stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The PTSS can be used to identify children and adults with higher levels of traumatic stress and who may need additional mental health support. This research, titled “Development and Psychometric Validation of the Pandemic-related Traumatic Stress Scale for Children and Adults,” is published in Psychological Assessment.
The study included 17,830 children and adults from 47 ECHO Cohort study sites representing all 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. Researchers split the sample into four groups including 1,656 pregnant or postpartum individuals; 11,483 adult caregivers; 1,795 adolescents aged 13 to 21; and 2,896 children aged 3 to 12.
Between April 2020 and August 2021, adolescents and adult caregivers (including pregnant or postpartum individuals) completed surveys about their pandemic-related traumatic stress, depressive symptoms, anxiety, general stress, and life satisfaction. Caregivers of children aged 3-12 reported on the behaviors observed in their child.
On average, caregivers had the highest levels of pandemic-related traumatic stress, followed by adolescents, pregnant or postpartum individuals, and children. Within these groups, the researchers found additional differences. Adolescents, females, and caregivers of children under 5 had higher PTSS scores on average than younger children, males, and caregivers of children 5 and older, respectively. Higher levels of pandemic-related traumatic stress were associated with greater symptoms of distress and lower life satisfaction.
The researchers found that the PTSS is a reliable way to measure pandemic-related traumatic stress in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers and doctors can use this scale to distinguish general stress, depression, and anxiety from traumatic stress, helping them to identify people who may need more support to improve their mental health.
“The PTSS can be used beyond the immediate COVID-19 pandemic context,” said Dr. Blackwell. “Unlike previous measures that capture traumatic stress reactions to a single event, the PTSS was developed to evaluate potential traumatic stress reactions to ongoing large-scale threats. In the future, the PTSS could be adapted to evaluate reactions to other acute onset stressors with lengthy durations.”