Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 11, 2025

Polar Histogram Visualization of Acute Stress Disorder Scale Scores for Comprehensive Clinical Assessment
Published on: December 6, 2024
An Item Response Theory Analysis of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 Among Veterans
Daniel J Lee1,2,3, Michael L Crowe1,2, Frank W Weathers1,2,3
1National Center for PTSD, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract:
We used item response theory (IRT) analysis to examine Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) item performance using data from three large samples of veterans (total N = 808) using both binary and ordinal rating methods. Relative to binary ratings, ordinal ratings provided good coverage from well below to well above average within each symptom cluster. However, coverage varied by cluster, and item difficulties were unevenly distributed within each cluster, with numerous instances of redundancy. For both binary and ordinal scores, flashbacks, dissociative amnesia, and self-destructive behavior items showed a pattern of high difficulty but relatively poor discrimination. Results indicate that CAPS-5 ordinal ratings provide good severity coverage and that most items accurately differentiated between participants by severity. Observed uneven distribution and redundancy in item difficulty suggest there is opportunity to create an abbreviated version of the CAPS-5 for determining PTSD symptom severity, but not DSM-5 PTSD diagnosis, without sacrificing precision.
More Related Videos
10:43Developing Neuroimaging Phenotypes of the Default Mode Network in PTSD: Integrating the Resting State, Working Memory, and Structural Connectivity
Published on: July 1, 2014
09:55Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder
Published on: March 8, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events,...
Self-Report Tests of Personality
Psychological Responses to Stress
Surveys