French version of the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment questionnaire-BITSEA.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the French version of the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA).

Methods: The sample consisted of 589 low-risk infants aged 12-36 months and their parents. Parents completed the BITSEA, the Child Behavior Checklist 1½-5 (CBCL - 18 months to 5 years version), and the Parenting Stress Index - Short Form (PSI-SF).

Results: Multitrait-multimethod and confirmatory factor analyses revealed adequate psychometric properties for the French version of the BITSEA. Scores on the BITSEA Problem scale were positively correlated to all CBCL and PSI-SF subscales, whereas negative correlations were found between BITSEA Competence scale and CBCL and PSI-SF subscales. The BITSEA Problem score significantly increased with level of parental worry, examined through a single-item question that is part of the BITSEA.

Conclusion: Findings support the validity of the French version of the BITSEA. However, additional work on the clinical validity of the BITSEA, including with at-risk children, is warranted.