It is important to note that detecting and identifying an occurrence or case of trauma can be a challenging endeavor, which is why the use of effective and accurate tools for screening and assessment can be highly critical, especially during major crisis events. The given informative piece will primarily focus on two such instruments, which are the Brief Trauma Questionnaire or BTQ and Trauma Assessment for Adults or TAA.
Although both methodological frameworks are based on self-report assessments, they have differences in regard to the areas of focus. In the case of BTQ, the emphasis is put on Criterion A of DSM-5, which is why it can be utilized in order to conduct a thorough and full evaluation of the given criterion (United States Department of Veteran Affairs, 2020). It is a “10-item self-report questionnaire derived from the Brief Trauma Interview” (United States Department of Veteran Affairs, 2020, par. 1). The instrument assesses traumatic exposure on the basis of DSM-5 specifications, where the questions are centered around a serious injury, life threat, and relevant events (United States Department of Veteran Affairs, 2020). In the case of TAA, it is a “17-item self-report Trauma Assessment for Adults (TAA) examines different types of stressful life events” (United States Department of Veteran Affairs, 2018, par. 1). The accentuation is put on stressful events, such as sexual assault, physical assault, accidents, or combat exposures (United States Department of Veteran Affairs, 2018).
In conclusion, both tools are useful since BTQ is beneficial for quick assessments, whereas TAA can be comprehensive for adults. These instruments are culturally appropriate because they are no indications of it being otherwise. Both instruments are similar in their ease of use because they focus on yes and no questions removing the complexity of answers, and the questionnaires include only ten items for BTQ and 17 items for TAA, which can be considered low.
References
United States Department of Veteran Affairs. (2018). Trauma Assessment for Adults – Self-report (TAA).
United States Department of Veteran Affairs. (2020). Brief Trauma Questionnaire (BTQ).