The Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. Validating a cross-cultural instrument for measuring torture, trauma, and posttraumatic stress disorder in Indochinese refugees.

TLDR

No valid cross‑cultural tools exist to assess torture, trauma, and PTSD symptoms, and creating such instruments for non‑Western populations presents methodological challenges. The study develops and validates three Indochinese versions of the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, a simple, reliable screening tool accepted by refugees and staff. The HTQ identifies trauma symptoms linked to PTSD in Indochinese refugees and its cultural sensitivity suggests applicability to other highly traumatized non‑Western groups.

Abstract

There are no valid and reliable cross-cultural instruments capable of measuring torture, trauma, and trauma-related symptoms associated with the DSM-III-R diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Generating such standardized instruments for patients from non-Western cultures involves particular methodological challenges. This study describes the development and validation of three Indochinese versions of the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ), a simple and reliable screening instrument that is well received by refugee patients and bicultural staff. It identifies for the first time trauma symptoms related to the Indochinese refugee experience that are associated with PTSD criteria. The HTQ's cultural sensitivity may make it useful for assessing other highly traumatized non-Western populations.