Assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder in Cambodian refugees using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale: psychometric properties and symptom severity.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were assessed by using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) in a consecutive sample of Cambodian refugees attending a psychiatric clinic in the United States. Psychometric properties of the translated CAPS and severity of PTSD-related symptoms were examined. The CAPS demonstrated adequate psychometric properties, including coefficient alpha (.92) and item-total correlations (.48-.85). Of the sample 56% (101/179) met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, criteria for current PTSD. Those patients who met criteria for current PTSD had significantly higher CAPS total scores (M = 65.3, SD = 18.1) than those who did not meet the criteria (M = 13.9, SD = 16.7).
Hinton
Devon E
DE
Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, 15 Parkman Street, WACC 812, Boston, MA 02114, USA. devon_hinton@hms.harvard.edu
Chhean
Dara
D
Pich
Vuth
V
Pollack
M H
MH
Orr
Scott P
SP
Pitman
Roger K
RK
D002160:Cambodia / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011594:Psychometrics; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D014175:Translating