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Assessing Trauma and Traumatic Stress via the Internet: Measurement Equivalence and Participant Reactions

Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, JPRead{at}buffalo.edu

Sherry M. Farrow

Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo

Urmo Jaanimägi

Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo

Paige Ouimette

Center for Integrated Healthcare, Syracuse VAMC, and Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse New York

Though relatively understudied, trauma exposure and resulting posttraumatic stress symptoms are common in college students. Web-based surveys allow for private, cost-effective, and time-efficient assessment of trauma and its sequelae in this at-risk population. This study examines two issues pertinent to Internet assessment of trauma and posttraumatic stress: (a) the reliability of the Internet compared with paper-and-pencil and interview assessments and (b) the acceptability of this assessment modality to students. College students (N = 38) completed a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) clinical interview and paper-and-pencil and online versions of trauma and PTSD questionnaires. Results showed in-person and online trauma and PTSD assessments to be significantly associated with each other and with the clinical interview. Participants reported positive reactions to the online survey. Findings suggest that the Internet can reliably and unobtrusively assess potentially sensitive topics in college students.

Key Words: trauma • PTSD • Internet assessment • college students

Traumatology, Vol. 15, No. 1, 94-102 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1534765608325121


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