title: Do gender and directness of trauma exposure moderate PTSD's latent structure?
abstract: The PTSD diagnosis and latent structure were substantially revised in the transition from DSM-IV to DSM-5. However, three alternative models (i.e., anhedonia model, externalizing behavior model, and hybrid model) of PTSD fit the DSM-5 symptom criteria better than the DSM-5 factor model. Thus, the psychometric performance of the DSM-5 and alternative models' PTSD factor structure needs to be critically evaluated. The current study examined whether gender or trauma directness (i.e., direct or indirect trauma exposure) moderates the PTSD latent structure when using the DSM-5 or alternative models. Model performance was evaluated with measurement invariance testing procedures on a large undergraduate sample (n=455). Gender and trauma directness moderated the DSM-5 PTSD and externalizing behavior model and did not moderate the anhedonia and hybrid models' latent structure. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.
authors: Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Doris Miller VA Medical Center, Waco, TX, USA. Electronic address: Sheila.frankfurt@gmail.com.
authors: Sheila B
authors: SB
authors: Frankfurt
authors: Psychology Research Institute, Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, UK.
authors: Cherie
authors: C
authors: Armour
authors: Department of Psychology, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA; Department of Psychology, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA.
authors: Ateka A
authors: AA
authors: Contractor
authors: Department of Psychology, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA.
authors: Jon D
authors: JD
authors: Elhai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D059445:Anhedonia; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D000067073:Psychological Trauma; D012737:Sex Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Directness of trauma; Factor structure; Gender; Measurement invariance; PCL-5; Posttraumatic stress disorder