PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF THE PTSD CHECKLIST (PCL)

The psychometric properties of the PTSD Checklist (PCL), a new, brief, self-report instrument, were determined on a population of 40 motor v ehicle accident victims and sexual assault victims using diagnoses and scores from the CAPS (Clinician Administered PTSD Scale) as the crite ria. For the PCL as a whole, the correlation with the CAPS was 0.929 a nd diagnostic efficiency was 0.900 versus CAPS. Examination of the ind ividual items showed wide ranging values of individual item correlatio ns ranging from 0.386 to 0.788, and with diagnostic efficiencies of 0. 700 or better for symptoms. We support the value of the PCL as a brief screening instrument for PTSD. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Lt d