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Georgescu T, Nedelcea C, Gorbănescu A, Papasteri C, Cosmoiu AM, Vasile DL, Letzner RD. Psychometric evaluation of the PCL-5: assessing validity, diagnostic utility, and bifactor structures. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2024; 15:2333222. [PMID: 38699832 PMCID: PMC11073431 DOI: 10.1080/20008066.2024.2333222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: The changes DSM-5 brought to the diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) resulted in revising the most widely used instrument in assessing PTSD, namely the Posttraumatic Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5).Objective: This study examined the psychometric properties of the Romanian version of the PCL-5, tested its diagnostic utility against the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5), and investigated the latent structure of PTSD symptoms through correlated symptom models and bifactor modelling.Method: A total sample of 727 participants was used to test the psychometric properties and underlying structure of the PCL-5 and 101 individuals underwent clinical interviews using SCID-5. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses were performed to test the diagnostic utility of the PCL-5 and identify optimal cut-off scores based on Youden's J index. Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFAs) and bifactor modelling were performed to investigate the latent structure of PTSD symptoms.Results: Estimates revealed that the PCL-5 is a valuable tool with acceptable diagnostic accuracy compared to SCID-5 diagnoses, indicating a cut-off score of >47. The CFAs provide empirical support for Anhedonia, Hybrid, and bifactor models. The findings are limited by using retrospective, self-report data and the high percentage of female participants.Conclusions: The PCL-5 is a psychometrically sound instrument that can be useful in making provisional diagnoses within community samples and improving trauma-informed practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teodora Georgescu
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Cătălin Nedelcea
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Adrian Gorbănescu
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Claudiu Papasteri
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Ana Maria Cosmoiu
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Diana Lucia Vasile
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Ramona Daniela Letzner
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
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Caudle MM, Dugas NN, Patel K, Moore RC, Thomas ML, Bomyea J. Repetitive negative thinking as a unique transdiagnostic risk factor for suicidal ideation. Psychiatry Res 2024; 334:115787. [PMID: 38367453 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is a transdiagnostic symptom observed across mood and anxiety disorders and is characterized by frequent, distressing thoughts that are perceived as uncontrollable. Specific forms of RNT have been linked to increased suicide risk. However, most work examining links between RNT and suicide has been conducted within specific disorders and subtypes of RNT (e.g., rumination in individuals with depression). The present study aimed to investigate associations between transdiagnostic RNT and suicidal ideation. We hypothesized RNT would be associated with suicide risk beyond disorder-specific clinical symptoms. Fifty-four participants with mood, anxiety, and/or traumatic stress disorders completed an interview assessing suicidal risk (Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)) and self-report questionnaires assessing transdiagnostic RNT, depression, and anxiety. Based on C-SSRS, we divided participants into high or low suicide risk groups. We analyzed the relationship between suicidal risk group and RNT and found that RNT was uniquely associated with suicidal risk group, controlling for depression and anxiety severity. Our results suggest including assessments of RNT may have clinical utility for understanding the degree of suicide risk in individuals and point to the potential utility of including clinical interventions to target this symptom for those at high risk of suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M Caudle
- San Diego State University, University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, 6363 Alvarado Court, Suite 103, San Diego, CA 92120, United States
| | - N N Dugas
- Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center, 3350 La Jolla Village Dr, San Diego, CA 92161, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - K Patel
- Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center, 3350 La Jolla Village Dr, San Diego, CA 92161, United States
| | - R C Moore
- VA San Diego Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, 3350 La Jolla Village Dr, San Diego, CA 92161, United States
| | - M L Thomas
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80525, United States
| | - J Bomyea
- VA San Diego Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, 3350 La Jolla Village Dr, San Diego, CA 92161, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States.
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Jannini TB, Longo L, Rossi R, Niolu C, Siracusano A, Di Lorenzo G. Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (cPTSD) and suicide risk: A multigroup mediation analysis exploring the role of post-traumatic symptomatology on hopelessness. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 165:165-169. [PMID: 37506411 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (cPTSD) is a clinical condition that features not only PTSD symptoms, but also disturbances in self-organization. Patients with cPTSD have a higher incidence of psychiatric comorbidities, including suicidality. A key construct tightly related to suicidality is hopelessness, described as a feeling of despair, with a state of mind giving low or negative expectancies regarding one's future. Since there is a paucity of studies investigating the link between cPTSD and hopelessness as a risk factor for suicidality, the aim of this study was to examine the role of post-traumatic symptomatology as the primary driver of suicidality, as measured by hopelessness. 211 patients were enrolled and divided into two groups: PTSD (143 patients) and cPTSD (78 patients). A set of standardized measures was administered to study post-traumatic symptomatology, depression, and hopelessness. The results showed that compared to PTSD, cPTSD patients experienced more severe symptoms in all clinical outcomes (p < 0.001). The mediation analysis revealed a significant positive association between post-traumatic symptomatology and hopelessness in the cPTSD group, which was not significant in the PTSD group. Among PTSD patients, depression mediated 43.37% of the impact of post-traumatic symptomatology on suicidal ideation. Our results contribute to a better understanding of complex post-traumatic symptomatology, further highlighting its role in the pathogenesis of suicidality. Hence, these findings have important clinical implications, suggesting that targeted, trauma-focused interventions might effectively prevent hopelessness and therefore suicide risk in patients with cPTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso B Jannini
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Longo
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Rodolfo Rossi
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Cinzia Niolu
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Siracusano
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgio Di Lorenzo
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy; IRCCS, Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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Lee DJ, Kearns JC, Stanley IH, Spitzer EG, Woodward B, Keane TM, Marx BP. A Comparison of Dimensional and Categorical Approaches to Characterizing the Association Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Future Suicide Attempts. J Trauma Stress 2021; 34:1099-1107. [PMID: 34019313 DOI: 10.1002/jts.22689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The present study compared the utility of categorical (i.e., diagnostic status) and dimensional (i.e., symptom severity) approaches to measuring posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in predicting future suicide attempts among participants in a nationwide, longitudinal study of U.S. military veterans who were deployed in support of operations in Iraq or Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks (9/11) and were enrolled in Veterans Health Administration services (N = 1,649). Following an initial assessment of PTSD symptoms, we assessed for suicide attempts at two subsequent time points (M = 28.74 months, SD = 8.72 and M = 55.11 months, SD = 6.89 following the initial assessment). Between the initial and final assessments, 125 participants (7.58%) made at least one suicide attempt. All categorical and dimensional indicators of PTSD predicted suicide attempts at both time points except the categorical indicator for reexperiencing symptoms. Categorical indicators predicting suicide attempts demonstrated excellent sensitivity but poor specificity and overall accuracy. The point along the continuum at which PTSD symptom severity was most accurate regarding the prediction of future suicide attempts was well above the threshold previously established as indicating a probable diagnosis. Although this score was less sensitive than diagnostic indicators, it demonstrated greater specificity and overall accuracy in predicting future suicide attempts. The present results indicate that veterans whose PTSD symptoms satisfy the diagnostic criteria have a higher risk of future suicide attempts, but this risk appears to be even higher for veterans with symptom levels above the diagnostic threshold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Lee
- Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jaclyn C Kearns
- Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Ian H Stanley
- Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Bonnie Woodward
- Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Terence M Keane
- Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Brian P Marx
- Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Correlation of gut microbiota and neurotransmitters in a rat model of post-traumatic stress disorder. JOURNAL OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICAL SCIENCES 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcms.2020.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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Associations between PTSD symptoms and suicide risk: A comparison of 4-factor and 7-factor models. J Psychiatr Res 2020; 129:47-52. [PMID: 32563777 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) are categorized into four clusters, emerging studies suggest the disorder is best characterized by seven symptom clusters: re-experiencing, avoidance, negative affect, anhedonia, externalizing behaviors, and anxious and dysphoric arousal symptoms. However, data are sparse regarding the relation between this novel model of DSM-5 PTSD symptoms and suicide risk. METHODS Using data from the National Survey for Stress and Health, a sample of 6180 Japanese individuals, we evaluated the relationship between suicide ideation and PTSD symptoms using 4- and 7-factor models. RESULTS Different association patterns were observed between each model and suicidal ideation. In the 4-factor model, we found re-experiencing feelings (odds ratio [OR] = 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01-1.06, p = 0.002), negative alterations in cognition and mood symptoms (OR = 1.08, 95%CI = 1.06-1.09, p < 0.001), and hyperarousal (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01-1.05, p = 0.014) were associated with increased suicide ideation. In the 7-factor model, we found re-experiencing feelings (OR = 1.04, 95%CI = 1.02-1.06, p = 0.001), negative affect (OR = 1.04, 95%CI = 1.01-1.07, p = 0.012), anhedonia (OR = 1.08-1.16, 95%CI, p < 0.001), and externalizing behavior (OR = 1.12, 95%CI = 1.07-1.17, p < 0.001) were associated with increased suicide risk. CONCLUSIONS A more refined 7-factor model of DSM-5 PTSD symptoms may help us understand their associations with comorbid psychopathology and suicide. Prevention and treatment efforts that target distinct aspects of the PTSD phenotype may be more effective in mitigating key clinical and functional outcomes in this population.
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Cooper SA, Szymanski BR, Bohnert KM, Sripada RK, McCarthy JF. Association Between Positive Results on the Primary Care-Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Screen and Suicide Mortality Among US Veterans. JAMA Netw Open 2020; 3:e2015707. [PMID: 32880649 PMCID: PMC7489804 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.15707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Suicide rates are higher among veterans compared with nonveterans, and the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is higher among veterans compared with the general adult population in the US. To date, no study has examined the association between PTSD screening results and suicide mortality among veterans. OBJECTIVE To examine whether veterans receiving care in the US Veterans Health Administration (VHA) health system who had positive results on the Primary Care-Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Screen (PC-PTSD) had a greater risk of suicide mortality compared with those who had negative results and to assess whether such risk decreased over time. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Multivariable proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate suicide mortality risk through December 31, 2016, among a cohort of veterans who received the PC-PTSD in the VHA health system. The VHA administers the PC-PTSD to patients nationwide, and screening results are routinely documented in the VHA Corporate Data Warehouse. The PC-PTSD includes 4 questions regarding PTSD symptoms, to which patients respond with either a positive (yes) or negative (no) answer. All patients who completed the PC-PTSD in 2014 and who did not have a diagnosis of PTSD in the year before screening were included in the analysis. A score of 3 or 4 on the PC-PTSD indicated a positive result, and a score of 0, 1, or 2 indicated a negative result. Data collection and analyses were performed from November 13, 2018, to June 18, 2019. EXPOSURES Primary Care-Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Screen (PC-PTSD). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Suicide mortality risk, as assessed through data obtained from the US Veterans Affairs/Department of Defense Mortality Data Repository. RESULTS A total of 1 693 449 PC-PTSDs were completed by 1 552 581 individual veteran patients in 2014. Most of the patients were White (73.9%), married (52.2%), male (91.1%), 55 years or older (62.5%), and had completed only 1 PC-PTSD (92.1%). In multivariable analyses, positive PC-PTSD results (ie, total scores of 3 or 4) were associated with a 58% increase in the risk of suicide mortality at 1 day after screening (hazard ratio [HR], 1.58; 95% CI, 1.19-2.10) and a 26% increase in the risk of suicide mortality at 1 year after screening (HR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.07-1.48). A positive response on item 4 ("felt numb or detached from others, activities, or your surroundings") of the PC-PTSD was associated with a 70% increase in suicide mortality risk at 1 day after screening (HR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.27-2.28). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Positive PC-PTSD results, and specifically reports of feeling numb or detached, were associated with increases in the risk of suicide mortality. These associations decreased over time. The findings of this study can inform interpretation of PC-PTSD responses and suggest the importance of recent improvements made to the VHA suicide risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha A. Cooper
- Serious Mental Illness Treatment Resource and Evaluation Center, Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Department of Veterans Affairs, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Benjamin R. Szymanski
- Serious Mental Illness Treatment Resource and Evaluation Center, Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Department of Veterans Affairs, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Kipling M. Bohnert
- Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Rebecca K. Sripada
- Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - John F. McCarthy
- Serious Mental Illness Treatment Resource and Evaluation Center, Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Department of Veterans Affairs, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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