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PORTUGUESE VALIDATION OF THE PERINATAL PTSD QUESTIONNAIRE (PPQ)

Abstract

This study aims to validate the Perinatal PTSD Questionnaire – PPQ (DeMier, et al., 1996) for the Portuguese population. Research evidence on PTSD related to childbirth has increased in the past decades. The lack of Portuguese data justifies the PPQ validation. After a back-translation process and a pre-test, PPQ was applied in a cross-sectional study to 209 women, aged 18-47 years (M=30.97; SD=5.51), mostly married (82.8%) and with a higher education level (44%). The childbirth occurred less than 12 months ago (M=7.02; SD=3.24), in 50% normal delivery, and no complications (89%). KMO (0.713) and Bartlett´s test (p<.001) enabled the PC Analysis -Varimax rotation. Two items were excluded due to low factor loading (<.3). Based on eigenvalues and scree plot, two factors were extracted explaining 36.29% of variance: 1st factor (7 items; ɑ=.71); 2nd factor (5 items; ɑ=.66). First factor comprises items regarding anxiety, sleep and cognitive disturbances, and hyper sensibility. The second factor refers to items related to dreams and intrusive memories, culpability and avoidance of situations and thoughts that trigger disturbing emotions similar to those experienced in childbirth. Unlike the original scale, the structure of the final version (12 items; ɑ=.72), does not support the DSM-IV criteria for PSTD. Nevertheless, results are consistent with the PPQ French validation. Internal scale consistency justifies the use of separate or global scores and allows its use in future studies. How to quote: Brites, R., Pires, M., Nunes, O., Hipólito, J. Vasconcelos, M. & Spitz, E. (2014). Portuguese validatiuon of the perinatal PTSD Questionnaire (PPQ). Abstract book of the 35th Stress and Anxiety Research Society International Conference. Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 2-4th July, 2014.