Measurement of traumatic experiences of children within survey and intervention research: A Systematic Review of the Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen

Current trauma measures for youth are lacking psychometric properties, ability for use with refugees, measurement of both exposure and symptomology of trauma, and are outdated with current DSM-V criterion. The Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen (CATS) is a measure that has been developed to fill this gap in both research and clinical practice. This systematic review examines the CATS psychometric properties across 41 empirical studies. The current literature shows support for the use of the measure in research and practice. The CATS has been utilized in various populations, internationally, and has shown moderate to strong validity and reliability in measuring trauma exposure and symptomology. More research should be conducted on the psychometric properties specifically in varying populations and ages, as well as, on the preschool-report form. Additionally, more research should be conducted exploring the efficacy of the translated versions of CATS with different populations.