The Bosnian version of the international self-report measure of posttraumatic stress disorder, the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale, is reliable and valid in a variety of different adult samples affected by war

There is mounting evidence suggesting that by increasing the frequency of treatment sessions, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment outcomes significantly improve. As part of an ongoing research project, this study examined the safety and effectiveness of intensive eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in a group of seven (four female) patients suffering from complex PTSD and multiple comorbidities resulting from childhood sexual abuse, physical abuse, and/or work and combat-related trauma. Treatment was not preceded by a preparation phase and consisted of 2 × 4 consecutive days of EMDR therapy administered in morning and afternoon sessions of 90 minutes each, interspersed with intensive physical activity and psychoeducation. Outcome measures were the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) and the PTSD Symptom Scale Self-report questionnaire (PSS-SR). During treatment, neither personal adverse events nor dropout occurred. CAPS scores decreased significantly from pre- to posttreatment, and four of the seven patients lost their PTSD diagnosis as established with the CAPS. The results were maintained at 3-month follow-up. Effect sizes (Cohen’s d) on the CAPS and PSS-SR were large: 3.2, 1.7 (prepost) and 2.3, 2.1 (prefollow-up), respectively. The results of this case series suggest that an intensive program using EMDR therapy is a potentially safe and effective treatment alternative for complex PTSD. The application of massed, consecutive days of treatments using EMDR therapy for patients suffering from PTSD, particularly those with multiple comorbidities, merits more clinical and research attention.

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Three Studies on the Reliability and Validity of a Self-Report Measure of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Assessment ◽

10.1177/107319119600300102 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 17-25 ◽

Cited By ~ 73

Author(s):

Dean Lauterbach ◽

Scott Vrana

Keyword(s):

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Discriminant Validity ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Traumatic Event ◽

Clinical Sample ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

Self Report ◽

Highly Correlated ◽

The Impact

This paper describes three studies of the reliability and validity of a newly revised version of the Purdue Posttraumatic Stress Disorder scale (PPTSD-R). The PPTSD-R is a 17-item questionnaire that yields four scores: Reexperiencing, Avoidance, Arousal, and Total. It is highly internally consistent (α = .91), and the scores are relatively stable across time. The PPTSD-R is highly correlated with other measures of PTSD symptomatology and moderately correlated with measures of related psychopathology, providing preliminary support for the measure's convergent and discriminant validity. It reliably distinguishes between groups of people who were and were not traumatized, it is sensitive to the impact of different types of traumatic events, and (within a clinical sample) it discriminates between those who did and did not seek treatment for difficulty coping with the traumatic event being assessed. The PPTSD-R shows promise as a measure of PTSD symptoms in the college population.

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Influence of Spirituality on Depression, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Suicidality in Active Duty Military Personnel

Depression Research and Treatment ◽

10.1155/2012/425463 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Laurel L. Hourani ◽

Jason Williams ◽

Valerie Forman-Hoffman ◽

Marian E. Lane ◽

Belinda Weimer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Military Personnel ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Active Duty ◽

Combat Exposure ◽

Self Report ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Active Duty Military

Understanding the role of spirituality as a potential coping mechanism for military personnel is important given growing concern about the mental health issues of personnel returning from war. This study seeks to determine the extent to which spirituality is associated with selected mental health problems among active duty military personnel and whether it moderates the relationship between combat exposure/deployment and (a) depression, (b) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and (c) suicidality in active duty military personnel. Data were drawn from the 2008 Department of Defense Survey of Health Related Behaviors Among Active Duty Military Personnel. Over 24,000 randomly selected active duty personnel worldwide completed an anonymous self-report questionnaire. High spirituality had a significant protective effect only for depression symptoms. Medium, as opposed to high or low, levels of spirituality buffered each of the mental health outcomes to some degree. Medium and low spirituality levels predicted depression symptoms but only among those with moderate combat exposure. Medium spirituality levels also predicted PTSD symptoms among those with moderate levels of combat exposure and predicted self-reported suicidal ideation/attempt among those never deployed. These results point to the complex relationship between spirituality and mental health, particularly among military personnel and the need for further research.

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Factor structure, internal consistency and reliability of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL): an exploratory study

Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy ◽

10.1590/s2237-60892012000400007 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 34 (4) ◽

pp. 215-222 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Eduardo de Paula Lima ◽

Sandhi Maria Barreto ◽

Ada Ávila Assunção

Keyword(s):

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Factor Analysis ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Internal Consistency ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Traumatic Events ◽

Self Report ◽

Oblique Rotation ◽

Language Version ◽

Temporal Reliability

INTRODUCTION: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder resulting from exposure to traumatic events. The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL) is a self-report measure largely used to evaluate the presence of PTSD. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the internal consistency, temporal reliability and factor validity of the Portuguese language version of the PCL used in Brazil. METHODS: A total of 186 participants were recruited. The sample was heterogeneous with regard to occupation, sociodemographic data, mental health history, and exposure to traumatic events. Subjects answered the PCL at two occasions within a 15 days’ interval (range: 5-15 days). RESULTS: Cronbach’s alpha coefficients indicated high internal consistency for the total scale (0.91) and for the theoretical dimensions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) (0.83, 0.81, and 0.80). Temporal reliability (test-retest) was high and consistent for different cutoffs. Maximum likelihood exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted and oblique rotation (Promax) was applied. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) index (0.911) and Bartlett’s test of sphericity (χ² = 1,381.34, p < 0.001) indicated that correlation matrices were suitable for factor analysis. The analysis yielded three symptom clusters which accounted for 48.9% of the variance, namely, intrusions, avoidance, and numbing-hyperarousal. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide additional data regarding the psychometric properties of the PCL, including internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and factor validity. Results are discussed in relation to PTSD theoretical models.

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Prevalence and predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder in adult survivors of childhood cancer: A report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2009.27.18_suppl.cra10002 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 27 (18_suppl) ◽

pp. CRA10002-CRA10002

Author(s):

M. Stuber ◽

K. Meeske ◽

B. Zebrack ◽

K. Krull ◽

K. Stratton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Cancer Survivors ◽

Childhood Cancer ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Cancer Survivor ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Childhood Cancer Survivors ◽

Childhood Cancer Survivor ◽

Self Report ◽

Childhood Cancer Survivor Study

CRA10002 Background: This study examined prevalence and demographic- and disease-related correlates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among 6,542 adult childhood cancer survivors and 368 siblings from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Methods: Subjects were dichotomized based on full PTSD criteria, using the Foa PTSD self-report measure to assess posttraumatic stress symptoms of intrusion of unwanted memories, avoidance of event reminders, and increased startle response, and the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 and the SF-36 subscale, role limitation due to emotional health, to evaluate clinical distress or impaired function. A self-report questionnaire provided demographic information and medical abstraction provided cancer reatment data. Multivariable generalized linear models were used to compare prevalence of PTSD among cancer survivors to siblings and to examine relationships between PTSD and demographic and disease-related factors. Relative risks (RR) were calculated based on a Poisson distribution with robust error variances. Results: Five hundred eighty-nine (9%) childhood cancer survivors and 8 (2%) siblings met criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD (RR = 3.83, 95% CI 1.96–7.48, p < 0.0001). Among cancer survivors, there was significantly more PTSD reported by women from minority backgrounds (p < 0.05). Other demographic factors associated with PTSD were having less than a college education (p < 0.05), being unmarried (p < 0.001), having an annual income less than $20,000 (p < 0.05) and being unemployed (p = 0.001). Risk of PTSD was significantly higher for survivors diagnosed at ages 15 to 20 years (p < 0.05). PTSD was more common among survivors treated with intensive chemotherapy (p < 0.05) or radiation therapy (p < 0.001) and who relapsed or developed a second malignant neoplasm (p < 0.001). Neuroblastoma and Wilms tumor survivors had a significantly lower risk of PTSD than did leukemia survivors (p < 0.05). Conclusions: While the majority of childhood cancer survivors did not demonstrate PTSD, a clinically significant number did meet diagnostic criteria. Prospective assessment of survivors with high risk demographic-, diagnosis-, and treatment-related characteristics should be considered as part of long-term health screening. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

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Increased risk of attempted suicide in Australian veterans is associated with total and permanent incapacitation, unemployment and posttraumatic stress disorder severity

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0004867417718945 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 52 (6) ◽

pp. 552-560 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Katelyn Kerr ◽

Madeline Romaniuk ◽

Sarah McLeay ◽

Andrew Khoo ◽

Michael T Dent ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Suicide Attempt ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Attempted Suicide ◽

Suicide Attempts ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Self Report ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Increased Risk ◽

History Of

Background: Military veterans have higher rates of suicidality and completed suicides compared to the general population. Previous research has demonstrated suicidal behaviour is higher in US combat veterans who are younger, suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety and score lower on measures of health. However, research on predictors of suicide for Australian veterans is limited. The aim of this study was to identify significant demographic and psychological differences between veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder who had attempted suicide and those with posttraumatic stress disorder who had not, as well as determine predictors of suicide attempts within an Australian cohort. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 229 ex-service personnel diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder who had attended a Military Service Trauma Recovery Day Program as outpatients at Toowong Private Hospital from 2007 to 2014. Patients completed a battery of mental health self-report questionnaires assessing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, alcohol use, anger, depression, anxiety and quality of life. Demographic information and self-reported history of suicide attempts were also recorded. Results: Results indicated the average age was significantly lower, and the rates of posttraumatic stress disorder, anger, anxiety and depression symptoms were significantly higher in those veterans with history of a suicide attempt. Multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity, unemployment or total and permanent incapacity pension status significantly predicted suicide attempt history. Conclusion: Among a cohort of Australian veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder, psychopathology severity, unemployment and total and permanent incapacity status are significantly associated with suicidality. This study highlights the importance of early identification of posttraumatic stress disorder and psychopathology, therapeutic and social engagement, and prioritisation of tangible employment options or meaningful and goal-directed activities for veterans deemed unable to work.

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