Validation of a French adaptation of the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire among torture survivors from sub-Saharan African countries

BACKGROUND To date no validated instrument in the French language exists to screen for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in survivors of torture and organized violence. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to adapt and validate the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ) to this population. METHOD The adapted version was administered to 52 French-speaking torture survivors, originally from sub-Saharan African countries, receiving psychological treatment in specialized treatment centers. A structured clinical interview for DSM was also conducted in order to assess if they met criteria for PTSD. RESULTS Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the HTQ Part 4 was adequate (0.95). Criterion validity was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis that generated good classification accuracy for PTSD (0.83). At the original cut-off score of 2.5, the HTQ demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity (0.87 and 0.73, respectively). CONCLUSION Results support the reliability and validity of the French version of the HTQ.