Developing the PTSD Checklist-I/F for the DSM-IV (PCL-I/F): Assessing PTSD Symptom Frequency and Intensity in a Pilot Study of Male Veterans with Combat-Related PTSD.

Ryan Holliday,Carol North,Alina Surís,Julia Smith

doi:10.3390/bs5010059

Abstract

The widely used posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Checklist (PCL) has established reliability and validity, but it does not differentiate posttraumatic symptom frequency from intensity as elements of posttraumatic symptom severity. Thus, the PCL in its existing form may not provide a comprehensive appraisal of posttraumatic symptomatology. Because of this, we modified the PCL to create the PCL-I/F that measures both frequency and intensity of PTSD symptoms via brief self-report. To establish validity and internal consistency of the PCL-I/F, we conducted a pilot study comparing PCL-I/F scores to structured diagnostic interview for PTSD (the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale [CAPS]) in a male combat veteran sample of 92 participants. Statistically significant correlations between the PCL-I/F and the CAPS were found, suggesting initial validation of the PCL-I/F to screen and assess frequency and intensity of combat-related PTSD symptoms. Implications are discussed for screening and assessment of PTSD related to combat and non-combat trauma.

Highlights

41% of the general population will experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetime [1]
The popularity of the PTSD Checklist (PCL) lies in its well-documented validity, its measurement of the list of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association, and its ease of administration as a self-report instrument in a fraction of the time required by a full diagnostic interview such as the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) [6,7,8]
A volunteer sample of 92 veterans with PTSD was recruited for a randomized clinical trial of dexamethasone for PTSD, through clinician referral, advertisements, and identification from a local voluntary research candidate database, at a large Southwestern Veteran Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) [11]

Summary

Introduction

41% of the general population will experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetime [1]. Certain subsets of the general population have a greater incidence of traumatic events and PTSD. Veterans are one such group, who may experience more frequent and severe trauma (e.g., combat and wartime stressors) than the rest of the population, with a higher prevalence of PTSD [3]. To target and treat this specific population, the Veterans Health Administration has placed an emphasis on developing and implementing valid and reliable measures of PTSD and posttraumatic symptom severity [4]. Versions of the PCL have been validated for use with military personnel or veterans and civilians, and for assessment of specific traumatic experiences [6,7,9]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion