What is the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ)?

The CTQ is a 28-item self-report inventory that assesses five types of childhood trauma: emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect.

Who developed the CTQ and when?

Developed by David P. Bernstein and others in 1994, with subsequent validation studies.

What type of assessment is the CTQ?

It is a retrospective self-report questionnaire designed to assess childhood trauma experiences in adults.

What does the CTQ assess?

• Emotional abuse (verbal attacks on sense of worth)
• Physical abuse (bodily assaults)
• Sexual abuse (sexual contact or conduct)
• Emotional neglect (lack of emotional support)
• Physical neglect (failure to provide basic needs)
• Minimization/denial (response validity scale)

How many items and what format?

28 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1-5) assessing frequency of traumatic experiences during childhood.

How is the CTQ scored?

Five clinical scales (range 5-25 each) and one validity scale. Higher scores indicate greater severity of trauma exposure.

Who can use the CTQ?

Adults (18+) in clinical, research, and forensic settings for assessing childhood trauma history.

What are the strengths of the CTQ?

Excellent psychometric properties, comprehensive trauma assessment, includes validity scales, widely validated.

What are the limitations of the CTQ?

Retrospective self-report, potential recall bias, not diagnostic of current disorders.