Development and evaluation of the Trauma Screener-Intellectual Disability: a post-traumatic stress disorder screening tool for adults with mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning.
Use the TS-ID adult self-report (cut-off ≥18) to screen for PTSD in adults with mild or borderline intellectual disability—skip the proxy version.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team built a new PTSD screener for adults with mild or borderline intellectual disability. They call it the Trauma Screener-ID (TS-ID).
Two forms were made: one the adult fills out alone, one a caregiver fills out. Both were tested for accuracy and consistency.
What they found
The adult self-report form worked very well. It caught PTSD cases and gave steady scores.
The caregiver form did not hold up. It missed too many cases and scores jumped around.
How this fits with other research
Wieland et al. (2016) first showed PTSD symptoms look about the same in borderline-IQ adults as in other out-patients. Jackson et al. (2025) now give us a quick tool to spot those symptoms.
Symons et al. (2005) warned that PTSD in severe ID can be hidden behind new challenging behaviors. The TS-ID fills the gap for the milder ID range that can still self-report.
Maïano et al. (2023) proved an anxiety screener for ID works in two languages. A et al. repeat the recipe: short self-report, clear cut-off, solid stats.
Why it matters
If you serve adults with mild or borderline ID, you now have a 5-minute, 18-item checklist to screen for PTSD. Use a cut-off score of 18. Skip the caregiver version—it is not reliable. Add the TS-ID to your intake packet and you will catch trauma cases that used to slip past.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the adult self-report and proxy version of the Trauma Screener-Intellectual Disability (TS-ID) in adults with mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning (MID-BIF). An optimal cut-off value was determined for the ratio of specificity to sensitivity for predicting the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHODS: The TS-ID was adapted from a Dutch Child and Adolescent Trauma Screener, for use with adults with MID-BIF. Outcomes based on the TS-ID were compared with the presence of PTSD, as classified using the Diagnostic Interview Trauma and Stressors-Intellectual Disability (Mevissen et al. 2018). The TS-ID adult version was administered to 97 participants with MID-BIF who lived in supported housing, whereas the TS-ID proxy version was administered to 92 family members or professional caregivers. RESULTS: The TS-ID adult version showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .94) and excellent validity (AUC = .94) for distinguishing PTSD in adults with MID-BIF. Optimal specificity and sensitivity was found at a cut-off score of 18. Although the TS-ID proxy version demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .93), it showed no validity in statistically distinguishing PTSD in adults with MID-BIF. CONCLUSIONS: The TS-ID showed favourable psychometric qualities as a screening instrument of PTSD in the case for people with MID-BIF.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2025 · doi:10.1080/19315864.2024.2416694