title: Comparing alternative factor models of PTSD symptoms across earthquake victims and violent riot witnesses in China: evidence for a five-factor model proposed by Elhai et al. (2011).
abstract: The present study investigated the factor structure of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms measured by the PTSD Checklist (PCL) in two large samples exposed to different traumatic events (an earthquake and a violent riot) from China. Despite the samples' difference in type of trauma, demographics, symptom severity, and elapsed time since trauma exposure, the results of a series of confirmatory factor analyses indicate that a five-factor intercorrelated model (intrusion, avoidance, numbing, dysphoric arousal, and anxious arousal) fit the data significantly better than the other alternative models including: the three-factor DSM-IV model, the four-factor numbing model (King et al., 1998), and the four-factor dysphoria model (Simms et al., 2002) in both samples. Implications and limitations regarding the results are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jianxin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhanbiao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Mingjie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Zhongquan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Kan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhengkui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jon D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Elhai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002681:China; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004190:Disasters / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055866:Earthquakes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012305:Riots / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*