Construct Validity of the Race-Based Traumatic Stress Symptom Scale and Tests of Measurement Equivalence

Objectives: The study was designed to examine the construct, measurement equivalence, and predictive validity of the Race-Based Traumatic Stress Symptom Scale (RBTSSS). Method: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used with adults from various racial backgrounds throughout the Northeast. Results: The CFA revealed a good model fit and a second-order SEM supported the concept of race-based traumatic stress. Measurement equivalence was found for gender and race. Convergent validity was tested using canonical correlation analysis, whereby RBTSSS reactions were related to psychological outcomes. Conclusions: The findings of the CFA and SEM provide support for the measurement and theoretical models of the RBTSSS. Study findings offer scholarly and practical contributions to trauma assessment and treatment.