Validity Testing of Cameron Trauma Assessment

PTSD Assessment for Veterans

Bibliographic Data

ID22010555
AuthorsKevin Cameron (Constructing Excellence, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume16
Issue02
Pages121-132
Publication date2026-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAdvances in Applied Sociology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2165-4328 • E-ISSN: 2165-4336
PublisherScientific Research Publishing, Inc. (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.4236/aasoci.2026.162009
OpenAlexW7128528219
LanguageEN
References cited16

The purpose of this study was to validate the Cameron Trauma Assessment (CTA), a culturally adapted version of the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) designed to improve diagnostic accuracy among U.S. military Veterans. The CTA integrates a structured Criterion A interview with cultural coding (C = Culturally Normative, T = Traumatic, CT = Combined) to distinguish between normative military conditioning and trauma exposure. A total of 372 Veterans completed both the CTA and the PCL-5 in counterbalanced order. Correlation and invariance analyses evaluated item, cluster, and total-scale convergence. Results indicated strong item-level correlations (M r = 0.83), high cluster-level equivalence (r = 0.86 - 0.91), and excellent total-scale agreement (r = 0.94, ICC = 0.92). A small negative bias on Bland-Altman analysis (M diff = >0.82) suggested that cultural coding reduced false-positive symptom inflation. Confirmatory factor analyses supported measurement invariance across instruments (ΔCFI ≤ 0.008, ΔRMSEA ≤ 0.01). Findings support the CTA as a psychometrically sound, culturally competent assessment that maintains the DSM-5 PTSD construct while enhancing contextual precision for Veteran populations

Checklist · Confirmatory factor analysis · Construct validity · Cultural bias · Measurement invariance · Normative · Psychometrics · Test validity · Migration, Health and Trauma · Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research · Traumatic Brain Injury Research