Propriedades Psicométricas da Escala de Cuidado do Questionário de Experiências de Cuidado e Abuso na Infância (Childhood Experiences of Care and Abuse – CECA.Q)

Abstract

Certain experiences in childhood, as neglect, antipathy or child abuse and adversity in general are predictors of illness in adulthood. Existing interviews for evaluation of experiences are too long making them useful only on small samples. Childhood experiences investigation through a self-answering questionnaire enables to carry out a research on larger samples. In this paper, we present the Scale of Care (SC) psychometric properties including in the Portuguese translation of the Questionnaire of Childhood Experiences of Care and Abuse (CECA.Q, Smith, Lam, Bifulco, & Checkley, 2002). The SC evaluates childhood care experiences until seventeen years. The original scale presents sixteen items, to be answered twice, related to mother and father respectively, having two sub scales, neglect and antipathy. Overall, the CECA.Q evaluates beyond neglect and antipathy (SC), parental loss, physical and sexual abuse. The SC was assessed in a group of students (N = 545), a group from general population (N = 262) and another of patients with major depression (N = 100). After first data analysis, we conclude that the item 7, 8, 11, and 15 did not have the psychometric qualities to stand on the Portuguese SC version of CECA.Q, so it became a twelve items questionnaire. The factorial analysis revealed the existence of two factors (neglect and antipathy) by the three samples, with a good internal consistency, between .70 and 0.95, considering the two factors, both parents, the three groups and both genders, and also an adequate construct validity and a test retest stability between .62 and .88 in the students group and general population. The present Scale of Care version from CECA.Q showed adequate psychometric properties to be applied in students, subjects from general population and in population with depressive psychopathology. Further research is required using other samples and in follow-up studies.