Children’s Thoughts Questionnaire – CTQ
Measures anxiety- and depression-related automatic thoughts, as well as positive cognitions, in children using scenario-based assessments.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Children’s Thoughts Questionnaire – CTQ was developed by Wendi E. Marien & Debora J. Bell (2004). It is designed to measure Anxiety- and depression-related automatic thoughts in children. The scale is intended for use with Children and adolescents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 60 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Anxiety Cognitions, Depression Cognitions, Positive Cognitions.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Anxiety Cognitions | 1,4,7,10,14,16,21,23,25,28,30,32,34,39,42,43,46,49,52,55,60 | 21 |
| Depression Cognitions | 3,5,9,12,15,18,19,22,27,33,36,37,40,45,48,50,53,56,58 | 19 |
| Positive Cognitions | 2,6,8,11,13,17,20,24,26,29,31,35,38,41,44,47,51,54,57,59 | 20 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not at all like I would think, 2 = A little bit like I would think, 3 = Somewhat like I would think, 4 = A lot like I would think, 5 = Exactly like I would think.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of High internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha typically > .80 for subscales).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.