Abstract

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the German adaptation of the Traumatic Experiences Checklist (TEC), a comprehensive questionnaire for the assessment of adverse and potentially traumatic experiences in childhood and adult life. Participants were recruited from in- and outpatient units of 7 psychiatric services in Switzerland and Germany and from private practitioners of psychiatry and psychotherapy (N = 287). Participants were assessed by self-rating scales, diagnostic checklists, and diagnostic interviews. A subgroup of 67 participants recompleted the TEC 3 to 5 weeks following the first assessment. High correlations between TEC scores and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire scores confirmed criterion validity of the TEC. Construct validity was confirmed by the association of TEC scores with symptom scores of posttraumatic stress, dissociation, anxiety, and depression. The TEC showed high reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.85 to 0.94 for total scores, test-retest correlation = 0.94 to 0.95 for total scores). The psychometric properties of the German adaptation of the TEC are excellent. The TEC is useful to assess adverse and potentially traumatic experiences in clinical work and research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)