The Development and Validation of a Dimensional Childhood Adversity Measure

Research on the developmental consequences of early adversity has grown rapidly, yet measures of childhood adversity have not kept pace with evolving theoretical models. Existing measures often lack comprehensive assessment and psychometric evidence. This study addresses these gaps by developing the Deprivation and Threat—Adult Self-report (DT-AS) measure, a psychometrically sound scale assessing childhood threat and deprivation exposure, evaluated in young adults. Psychometric analysis was performed in waves on a total sample of N = 796 participants. Pilot data ( n 1 = 210; n 2 = 208) were analyzed using Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT) to refine item selection and optimize response formats. The final sample ( n 3 = 378) confirmed a correlated factor structure of threat and deprivation with excellent psychometric properties. DT-AS consists of 33 items measuring threat and 30 measuring deprivation, offering a robust tool to examine associations between childhood adversity and psychopathology outcomes in adulthood.