Initial Development and Psychometric Properties of the Youth Racism-Based Traumatic Stress Symptom Scale

Objective: Studies demonstrating associations between experiences of racism and traumatic stress symptoms have predominantly been conducted in adults, due in large part to the lack of available tools for assessing racism-based traumatic stress symptoms (RBTSS) in youth. This investigation sought to address this gap by developing and validating the first measure of RBTSS for ethnoracially minoritized adolescents. Method: The Youth Racism-Based Traumatic Stress Symptom Scale (YRaBTSSS) was developed by drawing on relevant literature. Following iterative refinement based on feedback obtained via focus groups with adolescents, it was tested in two U.S. samples of 12–17-year-old ethnoracially minoritized adolescents (Study 1: n = 401, 50.6% female; Study 2: n = 651; 48.08% female) recruited through CloudResearch. Participants completed a demographic survey, the YRaBTSSS, and measures of trauma, racial/ethnic discrimination, and mental health. Results: An exploratory factor analysis in Study 1 indicated that the YRaBTSSS is comprised of a single factor representing RBTSS. The final RBTSS scale had excellent internal consistency (α = 0.98) and significant factor loadings (0.72–0.87). The factor structure was replicated in Study 2. The YRaBTSSS demonstrated convergent validity through significant associations with related measures of PTSD symptoms (p <.001) and racial stress (p <.001). Finally, RBTSS were significantly associated with symptoms of anxiety (p <.01), depression (p <.01), and conduct problems (p <.05). Conclusions: Findings show preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of the YRaBTSSS. This measure presents new opportunities to investigate the effects of racism on ethnoracially minoritized adolescents from a traumatic stress perspective.