Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Screening Questionnaire [PTSD-17]

Description

The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Screening Questionnaire (PTSD-17) is a 17-item self-report instrument designed to assess symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. It is based on the diagnostic criteria of the DSM-IV and evaluates symptom severity during the previous 30 days.

The questionnaire organizes symptoms into three main dimensions: re-experiencing the traumatic event, emotional numbing/avoidance, and anxiety or depressive symptoms.

Purpose

The main purpose of the PTSD-17 is to assess the presence and severity of post-traumatic stress symptoms in individuals who have been exposed to traumatic events.

The instrument may be used in research settings as well as for screening or diagnostic investigation, with the aim of identifying individuals who may have an increased likelihood of PTSD.

Structure of the Scale

The questionnaire consists of 17 items, grouped into three symptom dimensions:

Re-experiencing the traumatic event, referring to the recurrence or reliving of the traumatic experience.

Emotional numbing and avoidance, relating to withdrawal from stimuli, thoughts, or emotions associated with the traumatic event.

Anxiety and depressive symptoms, reflecting the broader emotional burden and psychological distress.

Scoring

Responses are given on a five-point Likert scale, ranging from:

1 = Not at all
to
5 = Very much.

The total score is obtained by summing responses across all 17 items and ranges from 17 to 85. Higher scores indicate more severe post-traumatic stress symptoms.

Scores may also be examined separately by subscale, using mean scores or summed scores for each symptom dimension.

Validity

According to the provided material, exploratory factor analysis supported the three-factor structure of the questionnaire, consistent with the theoretical framework of the DSM-IV. This finding supports the construct validity of the instrument.

Reliability

Internal consistency of the three subscales was reported as satisfactory. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were:

α = 0.75 for re-experiencing the traumatic event
α = 0.71 for emotional numbing/avoidance
α = 0.70 for anxiety and depressive symptoms.

These values indicate acceptable internal consistency for the three dimensions.

Data Analysis and Use

The PTSD-17 may be used to identify individuals with an increased likelihood of post-traumatic stress disorder and to assess the severity of related symptoms.

Statistical analysis may include means, standard deviations, and correlations with other psychometric variables, as well as comparisons between groups or across different assessment points.

Applications

The instrument may be used in clinical and research studies examining the psychological consequences of traumatic events.

It may also be applied to monitor the course of symptoms and to investigate their relationship with other psychological or social variables.

Because the questionnaire is based on DSM-IV criteria, its interpretation should follow the framework of the specific instrument version and should not automatically be considered equivalent to newer PTSD measures.

References

Andrykowski, M. A., Cordova, M. J., Studts, J. L., & Miller, T. W. (1998). Posttraumatic stress disorder after treatment for breast cancer: Prevalence of diagnosis and use of the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C) as a screening instrument. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66, 586–590.

Smith, M. Y., Redd, W. H., DuHamel, K., Vickberg, S. J., & Ricketts, P. (1999). Validation of the PTSD-Civilian Version in survivors of bone marrow transplantation. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 12, 485–499.