Analysis

The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PTSD Checklist-17) consists of 17 questions. It is a psychometric tool designed to assess three dimensions of the disorder: (a) re-experiencing the traumatic event, such as distressing and recurring thoughts, images, dreams, and memories; (b) emotional numbness and avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma; and (c) anxiety and depressive symptoms, such as sleep difficulties and anger outbursts. It is completed within 10 minutes, is administered to adults, and follows the diagnostic criteria of the disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).

Purpose

The main purpose of the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PTSD-17) is to assess the presence of symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Scoring

Respondents indicate the extent to which each statement applies to them using a five-point Likert scale (1 = Not at all, 2 = A little, 3 = Moderately, 4 = Quite a bit, 5 = Extremely). A second method of scoring examines the presence of potential PTSD symptoms according to the criteria of the DSM-5. These criteria involve the objective evaluation of symptoms across various clinical settings – inpatient, outpatient, partial hospitalization, counseling, clinical, private practice, and primary care settings.

Statistical Analysis

The total score is derived by summing the scores of each participant, with the mean value ranging from 17 to 85. A high score indicates greater re-experiencing of psychological trauma, stronger emotional association with the trauma, and increased anxiety disorder.

Validity and Reliability

Regarding internal consistency reliability for the total set of statements in each subscale, the Cronbach’s alpha values are: Subscale I – Re-experiencing the traumatic event (α = 0.75), Subscale II – Emotional numbness (α = 0.71), and Subscale III – Anxiety and depressive symptoms (α = 0.70). Additionally, exploratory factor analysis indicates that the scale has good construct validity.

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(3), 586.
Forte, G., Favieri, F., Tambelli, R., & Casagrande, M. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic in the Italian population: validation of a post-traumatic stress disorder questionnaire and prevalence of PTSD symptomatology. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(11), 4151.
Smith, M. Y., Redd, W., DuHamel, K., Vickberg, S. J., & Ricketts, P. (1999). Validation of the PTSD checklist–civilian version in survivors of bone marrow transplantation. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 12(3), 485-499.