title: Adaptation and validation of the Spanish-language Trauma Symptom Inventory in Puerto Rico.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This research was conducted to assess the Spanish-language Trauma Symptom Inventory's (Briere, 1995) suitability for use with a Puerto Rican sample. Minor revisions were made to the original instrument following a comprehensive appraisal involving a bilingual committee and pilot focus group. The present study outlines the review and adaptation process and examines the psychometric properties of the revised instrument, the Inventario de Síntomas de Trauma-Revisado (IST-R).
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 225 students (155 women, 70 men) at the University of Puerto Rico, age 20 to 59 (M = 23.24, SD = 4.69), participated in the validation study. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire; a self-report trauma exposure instrument; and measures of psychological distress, including Spanish-language versions of the Beck Depression Inventory, Symptom Checklist-36, and the Dissociative Experiences Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reliability coefficients for the IST-R clinical scales ranged from .69 to .91 (mean α = .84), and correlation coefficients were strongest for scales measuring the same constructs. Factor loadings obtained were consistent with those reported in the literature. Results support the internal consistency and construct validity of the IST-R.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Culturally and linguistically appropriate assessment instruments are needed to address the mental health needs of diverse populations. Results from this study provide evidence for the clinical and research promise of the IST-R as a screening tool for trauma-related symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Counseling, Clinical and School Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA. lisa.gutierrez@ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez Wang
authors.forename: Merith
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cosden
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bernal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D011647:Puerto Rico; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires