Assessment of PTSD: validation of the revised PTSD Inventory

Area of Science:

• Psychological assessment
• Psychometric validation
• Mental health diagnostics

Background:

• The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Inventory is a self-report measure derived from DSM-III criteria.
• Updates in diagnostic criteria (DSM-III-R) necessitated a revision of the inventory.
• Assessing the validity of revised diagnostic tools is crucial for accurate clinical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the validity of the revised PTSD Inventory against established diagnostic standards.
• To compare the revised PTSD Inventory with a structured clinical interview and a related scale.
• To confirm the psychometric properties of the updated PTSD Inventory for clinical use.

Main Methods:

• Revision of the PTSD Inventory to align with DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria.
• Concurrent validity assessment using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM (SCID).
• Comparison with the Impact of Events Scale (IES) as a secondary measure.

Main Results:

• The revised PTSD Inventory demonstrated a high degree of concordance with the SCID.
• Strong agreement was observed between the revised PTSD Inventory and the IES.
• The results support the reliability and validity of the updated questionnaire.

Conclusions:

• The revised PTSD Inventory is a valid and reliable instrument for diagnosing PTSD according to DSM-III-R criteria.
• Its standardized format and ease of administration make it a practical tool for clinicians.
• The inventory offers an economical and efficient method for PTSD assessment.