A DSM-III-R based instrument for the assessment of posttraumatic stres
s disorder (PTSD), the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-1), was
modified to accommodate cultural differences and translated into the
Afghan languages Pushto and Farsi (Dari) and administered to 30 Afghan
refugees living in the United States. The modified CAPS-1 was found t
o be practical and reliable. Inter-item correlations were calculated o
n the frequency and intensity scores for the 17 cardinal symptoms and
the eight associated features items of the modified CAPS-1. The four r
eexperiencing items demonstrated significant independence from the avo
idance and arousal symptom clusters. However, the avoidance and arousa
l symptom clusters were not found to be independent cardinal component
s of PTSD in our participants. The CAPS-1 criteria for diagnosis of PT
SD were met by 50% of the subjects evaluated.