Diagnostic validity of the PC-PTSD screen in college students.
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Hawn, Sage E.; Cusack, Shannon E.; George, Brianna; Sheerin, Christina M.; Dick, Danielle; Amstadter, Ananda B.
- Source
- Journal of American College Health; Aug/Sep2022, Vol. 70 Issue 6, p1909-1919, 11p, 8 Charts, 2 Graphs
- Subject
- Research
Psychology of college students
Research methodology evaluation
Research methodology
Psychological tests
Undergraduates
Longitudinal method
Diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder
Medical screening
Primary health care
Descriptive statistics
Logistic regression analysis
- Language
- ISSN
- 07448481
Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the diagnostic validity of the Primary Care PTSD screen (PC-PTSD) in a generalizable college sample and to examine potential differences in its predictive efficacy according to sex and racial/ethnic identity. An exploratory aim was to determine whether PC-PTSD symptom items differentially predicted PTSD diagnostic status. Participants: Data from 475 undergraduates were analyzed. Methods: Logistic regressions were conducted to examine the relationship between different PC-PTSD endorsement thresholds and probable PTSD among various subsamples. Follow-up tests of diagnostic accuracy were performed. Results: Results of this study indicated that the PC-PTSD identified PTSD among college students with poor accuracy. Furthermore, the PC-PTSD did not demonstrate equal predictive validity across neither sex nor racial/ethnic identity. Endorsement of reexperiencing symptoms appeared to be the strongest predictor of PTSD. Conclusions: Results highlight the clear need for a validated PTSD screener effective for a diverse college population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]