Assessment of trauma symptomatology in adults with intellectual disabilities: validation of the Lancaster and Northgate Trauma Scales

Hall, James C. (2012) Assessment of trauma symptomatology in adults with intellectual disabilities: validation of the Lancaster and Northgate Trauma Scales. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Background and Aims
There is evidence that people with intellectual disabilities experience a higher rate of traumatic life events. However, attempts to research the presence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology have been hampered by the absence of a validated and suitable assessment tool. The aim of this study, therefore, was to further examine the psychometric properties of a recently developed measure,
the Lancaster and Northgate Trauma Scales (LANTS; Wigham, Hatton & Taylor, 2011b).
Method
Using a correlational design, 40 individuals (23 female, 17 male) with a mild intellectual disability (Mean FSIQ = 60.68; SD = 6.13) completed the LANTS and measures of anxiety and depression, along with a measure of general intellectual functioning. Two assessment tools developed for this study were also administered: the Impact of Events Scale – Intellectual Disabilities (IES-ID), a version of the Impact of Events Scale Revised (IES-R; Weiss & Marmar, 1997) adapted specifically for people with intellectual disabilities; and the Trauma Information Form (TIF) which is a selfreport assessment of trauma experiences in line with current DSM-IV-TR criteria (2000).
Results
Both trauma scales had high internal and test-retest reliability, although the IESID subscales were less reliable than the total severity score. Convergent validity was also good with the LANTS and IES-ID both positively correlated with each other, and iii measures of anxiety and depression. However, unlike the IES-ID, the LANTS failed to correlate with the number of traumas. No differences on trauma or demographic factors were found between a high and low PTSD group. Intellectual functioning was not
related to the extent of trauma symptomatology.
Conclusions
The LANTS and IES-ID are promising trauma assessment tools, and therefore both may have clinical utility for the identification of PTSD symptomatology in people with intellectual disabilities. While the findings should be extended to a larger sample, they clearly provide a basis for more research into this under-researched but burgeoning area.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
Depositing User:	Users 2593 not found.
Date Deposited:	10 Mar 2015 16:34
Last Modified:	10 Mar 2015 16:34
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/52602
DOI:

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