Assessment of trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress in long-term care veterans: preliminary data on psychometrics and post-traumatic stress disorder prevalence.
This article reports preliminary data on trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prevalence, as well as test psychometrics, among 35 cognitively intact veterans residing in long-term care settings. Participants received a traumatic event screening, the Mini-Mental Status Examination, Combat Exposure Scale (CES), PTSD Checklist (PCL), and Mississippi Combat PTSD Scale (M-PTSD). Results demonstrated adequate reliability for the CES, PCL, and M-PTSD for use in these settings, with several significant intercorrelations. A high prevalence of trauma exposure was found, in particular combat. Based on the PCL and M-PTSD, although most veterans did not meet full PTSD diagnostic criteria, a moderate proportion met partial criteria. The need for assessment and treatment of trauma exposure and PTSD in Veterans Affairs long-term care settings is emphasized.
Cook
Joan M
JM
School of Medicine, Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. jc2676@columbia.edu
Elhai
Jon D
JD
Cassidy
Erin L
EL
Ruzek
Josef I
JI
Ram
Gagan Deep
GD
Sheikh
Javaid I
JI
D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011594:Psychometrics; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*; D014857:Warfare; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*