title: The factor structure of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among Rwandans exposed to the 1994 genocide: A confirmatory factor analytic study using the PCL-C.
abstract: The factor structure of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in Euro-American populations has been extensively studied, but confirmatory factor analytic studies from non-Western societies are lacking. Alternative models of DSM-IV symptoms were tested among Rwandan adults (N=465) who experienced trauma during the 1994 genocide. A cluster random survey was conducted with interviews held in Rwandan households. PTSD was assessed with the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian version. Competing models were the DSM-IV, emotional numbing, dysphoria, aroused intrusion, and dysphoric arousal models. Results showed that the emotional numbing, dysphoria, and dysphoric arousal models had almost identical, good fit indices and fit the data significantly better than the other models. The emotional numbing and dysphoric arousal models also exhibited good construct validity. Results suggest that the latent structure of PTSD symptoms in Rwanda are comparable to that found in Euro-American samples, thereby lending further support to the cross-cultural validity of the construct.
authors.affiliation: Semmelweis University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Balassa utca 6,Budapest 1083, Hungary. Electronic address: kinga.fodor@med.semmelweis-univ.hu.
authors.forename: Kinga E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Fodor
authors.affiliation: Columbia University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, 180 Ft. Washington Avenue, New York, NY 10032, USA. Electronic address: joanna.pozen@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pozen
authors.affiliation: National University of Rwanda, School of Public Health, Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, PO Box 5229, Kigali, Rwanda. Electronic address: jntagani@nursph.org.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ntaganira
authors.affiliation: University of Rwanda, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Clinical Psychology, PO Box 3286, Kigali, Rwanda. Electronic address: v.sezibera@ur.ac.rw.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sezibera
authors.affiliation: Columbia University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, 180 Ft. Washington Avenue, New York, NY 10032, USA; Division of Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY; Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY. Electronic address: rn3@columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Neugebauer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D063365:Genocide / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012432:Rwanda / Q000208:ethnology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Confirmatory factor analysis; Genocide; PTSD; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Rwanda; Sub-Saharan Africa