The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM–5; PCL–5) is a widely used self-rated measure of DSM–5 PTSD symptoms. The goal of this systematic review was to synthesize research on the psychometric properties of the PCL–5 to guide clinical and research applications. We focused on reliability, validity, factor structure, optimal cutoff scores, and sensitivity to clinical change indices. A systematic review of the literature following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and PTSDpubs with search terms capturing selected psychometric indices of the PCL–5. The inclusion criteria were: peer-reviewed publication in English; primary focus on the PCL–5 psychometrics; empirical study; and study with adult samples. The search yielded 265 studies; 56 articles (amounting to 64 studies) met inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Findings generally indicated evidence for: acceptable internal consistency and test–retest reliability; construct validity; a seven-factor Hybrid Model; recommended cutoff scores between 31 and 33; and ability to index sensitivity to clinical change. To further advance knowledge and applications of the PCL–5, we need more research on abbreviated versions of the PCL–5, bi-factor modeling as applied to the PCL–5, as well as on PCL–5 item difficulty estimates, discrimination parameters, and clinical change score estimates.
Existing literature has provided support for an association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and emotion dysregulation. However, few studies have examined the relation between PTSD and emotion dysregulation that stems from positive emotions. Moreover, the role of trauma exposure, per se, on positive emotion dysregulation is unknown. Addressing these limitations, the current study compared levels of positive emotion dysregulation among (a) individuals without trauma exposure, (b) trauma-exposed individuals without probable PTSD, and (c) trauma-exposed individuals with probable PTSD. Participants were 400 community-dwelling individuals (M age = 43.76 years, 68.6% female; 24.2% Asian, 23.7% Black, 24.5% Hispanic, 27.6% White). Lower levels of positive emotion dysregulation were found among trauma-exposed participants without probable PTSD compared to trauma-exposed participants with probable PTSD, ds = 0.66-0.73, and unexposed participants, ds = 0.58-0.64. The present findings suggest the potential protective role of low levels of positive emotion dysregulation following trauma exposure. If replicated in longitudinal studies, these results may indicate the utility of enhancing skills for regulating positive emotions among individuals at risk for trauma exposure.
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