Psychometric properties of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) checklist for DSM-5 in persons with serious mental illness.

BACKGROUND

PCL-5 is a self-report measure consisting of 20 items that are used to assess the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) according to the DSM-5.

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluated the factor structure of the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) in people with serious mental illness.

METHOD: The sample in Study 1 included 536 participants with serious mental illness who were receiving supported employment services through community mental health agencies or supported housing programmes. Confirmatory factor analysis assessed the fit of six different models of PTSD.

RESULTS

Results indicated that Armour's Hybrid 7-factor model composed of re-experiencing, avoidance, dysphoria, dysphoric arousal, anxious arousal, negative affect, anhedonia, and externalizing behaviours demonstrated the best fit. Study 2 found support for convergent validity for PCL-5 among 132 participants who met criteria for PTSD.

CONCLUSION

Findings provide support for the psychometric properties of the PCL-5 and the conceptualization of the 7-factor hybrid model and the 4-factor DSM-5 model of PTSD among persons living with serious mental illness.