Convergent validity of measures of post‐traumatic stress disorder in a mixed military and civilian population

Abstract

The authors evaluated the validity of the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) subscale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), the Impact of Event Scale (IES) and the Symptom Check List 90 (SCL-90) as continuous and dichotomous measures of PTSD in a mixed military and civilian group of 70 subjects in the United Kingdom. The MMPI-PTSD and the IES are designed specifically as measures of PTSD and the Global Symptom Index of the SCL-90 is a general measure of neurosis. All measures produced significant positive correlations with scores from the Clinician Administered Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale (CAPS-1) and with each other. The IES was the most useful dichotomous measure. The optimum cut-off score for the IES producing the highest Positive Predictive Value and the lowest Apparent Total Misclassification Error Rate has been determined.

The impact of postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms on child development: a population-based, 2-year follow-up study

“…Sum scores of the overall scale were computed (range 0-75), where higher scores reflect a higher degree of post-traumatic stress. The Impact of Event Scale has been validated in postpartum women (Olde et al, 2006) and can be used as a continuous or categorical measure, with scores over 19 reflecting clinically significant distress, and scores over 34 indicating that PTSD is likely to be present (Neal et al, 1994). Reliability in the present study was α = .85.…”

The efficacy of a mental health program in Bosnia‐Herzegovina: Impact on coping and general health

“…The psychometric qualities have been affirmed consistently (Joseph, 2000). Although cutoff scores for the IES have limited value due to the differences in intensity of traumatic stressors, in time elapsed since the event and in cultural contexts, cutoff scores of 26 and 35 have been mentioned (Neal et al, 1994;Van der Velden, Burg, Steinmetz, & Bout, 1992). The scale was found to be statistically reliable (Cronbach's ␣ ϭ 0.80).…”

Affective Distress and Amputation-Related Pain Among Older Men with Long-Term, Traumatic Limb Amputations

“…The IES is an assessment of post-traumatic psychological distress, which has high sensitivity and specificity in identifying cases of post-traumatic stress disorder. 22,23 The assessment includes 15 items, which form two subscales reflecting two of the core phenomena of traumatic stress: intrusion (B criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV, post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD diagnosis) and avoidance (C criteria). 24 Total IES scores of 35 are used to identify PTSD caseness.…”

“…24 Total IES scores of 35 are used to identify PTSD caseness. 23,25 Participants were also asked whether or not they experience phantom limb pain and/or residual limb pain. 26 …”