Development of a Screening Instrument for Post-Traumatic Symptoms: The Sinhala Version of the Impact of Event Scale

Traumatic events in Sri Lanka, such as a decade-long civil war and the 2004 tsunami, necessitate a language specific and time-efficient screening instrument for post-traumatic symptoms. The Sinhala version of the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (SIES-R) was administered to 438 adult participants. Internal consistency estimates for the total SIES-R and each subscales were acceptable (α = .70). A one-week test-retest reliability (n = 54) analysis provided evidence of temporal stability. Adjusted item-to-scale reliability estimates were less supportive. Confirmatory factor analysis using LISREL indicates a three factor structure best represents the SIES-R’s underlying factor structure. Results suggest the SIES-R as appropriate for screening of post-trauma symptoms in Sinhala speaking SriLankans in an urban area.