Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Katrina Inspired Disaster Screenings (KIDS): Psychometric Testing of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network Hurricane Assessment and Referral Tool

Post disaster psychosocial surveillance procedures are important for guiding effective and efficient recovery. The Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Katrina Inspired Disaster Screenings (KIDS) is a model designed with the goal of assisting recovering communities in understanding the needs of and targeting services toward children and adolescents. As a critical, yet understudied, component to the KIDS model, the objective of this study is to test the psychometric properties of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network Hurricane Assessment and Referral Tool for Children and Adolescents. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to investigate the factor structure of the NCTSN Hurricane Assessment and Referral Tool. The convenience sample included 7530, 9-18 years old students who completed the school initiated screener in Southeastern Louisiana schools from December 2005 to December 2006. On a small treatment seeking population (N = 62), associations among the referral tool and the PTSD Reaction Index were also explored. EFA of the referral tool revealed a two factor solution, anxious and depressive reactions, that accounted for 45.8 % of model variance. Internal consistency was high and symptom scores were moderately associated with the PTSD Reaction Index. The cutoff score was also confirmed with scores a parts per thousand yen4 suggesting the need for referral. This study allows for the recommendation of the NCTSN Hurricane Assessment and Referral Tool as a reliable and valid part of the KIDS model; together they provide an initial step toward addressing the needs of child and adolescent disaster survivors.