ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the development of a range of psychological assessment tools used to measure the psychological impact of traumatic events on people. From the time that post-traumatic stress was first recognised as a psychiatric disorder, researchers have worked on developing instruments to assess the range and magnitude of the post-trauma symptoms (Foa et al. 1993; Newman et al. 1996). Over time, four groups of trauma assessment tools have emerged. The first measures the nature and features of the traumatic event and the extent to which it meets the Criterion A of DSM IV (American Psychiatric Association 1994). The next two groups examine the psychological impact of the traumatic experience on the victim using either structured interviews or self-report techniques. The final group assesses the psychobiological or psychophysiological changes brought about by the traumatic experience.
