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Abbreviated PTSD Checklist (PCL) as a guide to clinical response.

Authors :: Lang AJ
Wilkins K
Roy-Byrne PP
Golinelli D
Chavira D
Sherbourne C
Rose RD
Bystritsky A
Sullivan G
Craske MG
Stein MB
Source :: General hospital psychiatry [Gen Hosp Psychiatry] 2012 Jul-Aug; Vol. 34 (4), pp. 332-8. Date of Electronic Publication: 2012 Mar 27.
Publication Year :: 2012
Abstract: Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate two abbreviated versions of the PTSD Checklist (PCL), a self-report measure of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, as an index of change related to treatment.<br />Method: Data for this study were from 181 primary care patients diagnosed with PTSD who enrolled in a large randomized trial. These individuals received a collaborative care intervention (cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and/or medication) or usual care and were followed 6 and 12 months later to assess their symptoms and functioning. The sensitivity of the PCL versions (i.e., full, two-item, six-item), correlations between the PCL versions and other measures, and use of each as indicators of reliable and clinically significant change were evaluated.<br />Results: All versions had high sensitivity (.92-.99). Correlations among the three versions were high, but the six-item version corresponded more closely to the full version. Both shortened versions were adequate indicators of reliable and clinically significant change.<br />Conclusion: Whereas prior research has shown the two-item or six-item versions of the PCL to be good PTSD screening instruments for primary care settings, the six-item version appears to be the better alternative for tracking treatment-related change.<br /> (Published by Elsevier Inc.)