title: The latent structure of posttraumatic stress disorder: a taxometric investigation of reactions to extreme stress.
abstract: Mental health professionals have debated whether posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be qualitatively distinguished from normal reactions to traumatic events. This debate has been fueled by indications that many trauma-exposed individuals evidence partial presentations of PTSD that are associated with significant impairment and help-seeking behavior. The authors examined the latent structure of PTSD in a large sample of male combat veterans. Three taxometric procedures-MAMBAC, MAXEIG, and L-Mode-were performed with 3 indicator sets drawn from a clinical interview and a self-report measure of PTSD. Results across procedures, consistency tests, and analysis of simulated comparison data all converged on a dimensional solution, suggesting that PTSD reflects the upper end of a stress-response continuum rather than a discrete clinical syndrome.
authors: Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802-3104, USA. amr205@psu.edu
authors: Ayelet Meron
authors: AM
authors: Ruscio
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Ruscio
authors: Terence M
authors: TM
authors: Keane
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*