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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder The Diagnosis Research Paper

Of these 620 participants, 446 reported at least one DSM-IV-TR experience in the past. Smith also reports that 70 university students were sampled as well. The assessment authors conducted another sample to measure reliability. The study included 257 undergraduate students, 191 clinical patients, and 58 participants recruited through flyers and newspaper advertisements (Smith). Both samples were primarily female, 74% in the university sample and 80% in the community sample, as well as Caucasian, 84% in the university sample and 77% in the community sample (Smith). The mean age was 19.6 in the university sample and 35 in the community sample. Boothroyd reports the following reliability and validity data for the DAPS. The majority of the 13 scales have Cronbach coefficients above .8, and internal consistency estimates on the Positive Bias scale range from .61 to .80. The internal consistency coefficients for the Negative Bias and Relative Trauma Exposure scale range from .49 to .67. Additionally, three types of evidence to support validity of scores are provided: the relationship of DAPS scores with conceptually important variables, its convergence with similar measures, and its discrimination from less-related measures. Smith adds that the correlation between the symptom scales and the symptom scales of other inventories are in the .60 to .80 range.

The normative sample for the PDS include 248 participants recruited from Veterans Administration hospitals, anxiety and PTSD treatment clinics, women's shelters, emergency/trauma centers, fire stations, ambulance corps, and residential rehabilitation centers who had experienced a trauma-inducing event more than a month prior to the study (Axford). Doll adds that the study was limited to five East Coast states and two Midwestern cities. Additionally, low- and upper-income subjects were somewhat overrepresented while Hispanics and other minorities were somewhat underrepresented in the study (Doll).

Doll reports the following reliability and validity...

The internal consistency alpha for the Symptom Severity Score was .92, and test-retest reliability was 87.3%. The validity study demonstrated that decisions made with the PDS agreed with those made with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R 79% of the time. Doll adds that the PDS correctly identified PTSD 82.0% of the time and correctly identified non-PTSD 76.7% of the time.
Evaluation

Both assessments seem to have adequate reliability and validity data. In addition, both assessments are correlated to DSM diagnostic criteria. All of the reviewers cited in this paper found that they are both promising instruments for assessing and monitoring progress of subjects with PTSD. However, there is some concern that the PDS only includes one small study for its normative sample as well as its reliability and validity studies; therefore, Doll recommends that the instrument is not yet ready for clinical use and should be limited to use in research until further validity studies can be conducted. Therefore, at this time the DAPS is a better instrument for assessing and monitoring PTSD in both a research and clinical setting.

Sources used in this document:
References:

Axford, S.N.. (n.d.) Review the posttraumatic stress diagnostic scale. Mental Measurements Yearbook. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Boothroyd, R.A. (n.d.) Review of detailed assessment of posttraumatic stress. Mental Measurements Yearbook. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Courtois, C.A. (2008). Complex trauma, complex reactions: Assessment and treatment. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, (1), 86-100. doi:10.1037/1942-9681.S.1.86

Doll, B. (n.d.) Review the posttraumatic stress diagnostic scale. Mental Measurements Yearbook. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
National Institutes of Mental Health. (2011) Post traumatic stress disorder. Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml
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