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Sensitivity and specificity of the PTSD checklist in detecting PTSD in female veterans in primary care
Author(s) -
Lang Ariel J.,
Laffaye Charlene,
Satz Leslie E.,
Dresselhaus Timothy R.,
Stein Murray B.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1023/a:1023796007788
Subject(s) - checklist , distress , primary care , psychiatry , clinical psychology , medicine , psychology , family medicine , cognitive psychology
PTSD affects a substantial number of women in medical settings and is associated with significant distress and impairment. There are effective methods of treating trauma‐related distress, but a minority seek such care. Thus, primary care is an important setting in which to identify individuals with PTSD. We sent questionnaires, including the PTSD Checklist—Civilian Version (PCL‐C), to 419 female veterans who were seen in our primary care clinic in 1998; 56% ( N = 221) returned the measures. A random subset ( n = 49) was interviewed to establish psychiatric diagnoses. The results provide qualified support for the use of the PCL‐C total score with a lowered cutoff score as a screening measure for PTSD in female veterans in primary care.