ABSTRACT
We estimated norms and percentiles for the Pediatric Emotional Distress Scale (PEDS) in order to enhance its utility as a screening tool for emotional and behavioral distress following a major. The PEDS was administered to a nationally representative sample of parents of children ages 5-12 from all 50 states (N = 1,570). Approximately 15% of the parents reported a trauma/stress in the past 12 months. Results showed good internal consistency (α = .92) and concurrent validity, with significantly higher scores for the trauma/stress subsample compared to the no trauma/stress subsample. PEDS scores were also significantly higher in younger children (age 5-6) compared to older children (7-12), pointing to the need for separate clinical cut-off scores for younger versus older children. Finally, we examined the factor structure of the PEDS with results supporting a four factor solution in the trauma/stress subsample. For screening purposes, we recommend cut-off scores of 39 (ages 5-6) and 35 (ages 7-12) which correspond to the 90th percentile.
