title: The importance of the DSM-IV E and F criteria in self-report assessments of PTSD.
abstract: The purpose of the current study was to examine the DSM-IV E and F criteria when using self-report measures of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). According to DSM-IV there are six core criteria required for a PTSD diagnosis including specific trauma characteristics, re-experiencing, avoidance, hyperarousal, duration, and impairment level. The Impact of Events Scale (IES) is a widely used self-report measure designed to measure PTSD symptoms. It has recently been suggested that the IES may produce misleading results, making emotional reactions to obviously non-traumatic events look like PTSD. In two separate studies, when duration (E criterion) and subjective impairment (F criterion) were included, the rates of those meeting PTSD criteria dropped from 20% to 3%. In addition, only 30% of events identified by a trauma history questionnaire met the DSM-IV definition of a traumatic event. The results have implications for the use of self-report measures in the assessment of PTSD.
authors.affiliation: University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, United States. adriel@unt.edu
authors.forename: Adriel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boals
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Hathaway
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires