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- Title
Screening for PTSD in public-sector mental health settings: the diagnostic utility of the PTSD checklist.
- Authors
Grubaugh, Anouk L; Elhai, Jon D; Cusack, Karen J; Wells, Chris; Frueh, B Christopher
- Abstract
There are few available data on how to accurately screen for and assess posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among severely mentally ill adults, a group with high rates of unrecognized trauma and PTSD symptoms. We examined the diagnostic utility of a widely used screening instrument, the PTSD Checklist (PCL), for diagnosing PTSD among 44 traumatized, adult, public-sector mental health patients recruited through a community mental health program. Participants completed the PCL and the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), which is considered the "gold standard" for determining PTSD diagnoses. Data provide preliminary support for the use of the PCL as a screening instrument in public psychiatric settings, indicating that the optimal cut-point for adults with severe mental illness is about 54 (with slightly higher or lower recommended cut-points depending on the clinical context and purpose of the PCL). Such data are critical to ensuring that public-sector mental health patients with trauma-related difficulties are identified and referred for appropriate services.
- Publication
Depression and anxiety, 2007, Vol 24, Issue 2, p124
- ISSN
1091-4269
- Publication type
Journal Article
- DOI
10.1002/da.20226