Do gender and directness of trauma exposure moderate PTSD's latent structure?. (30th November 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Frankfurt, Sheila B.; Armour, Cherie; Contractor, Ateka A.; Elhai, Jon D.
• Is Part Of: Psychiatry research. Volume 245(2016)
• Page Start: 365
• Page End: 370
• Publication Date: 2016-11-30
• Subjects: Posttraumatic stress disorder -- Measurement invariance -- Factor structure -- Gender -- Directness of trauma -- PCL-5; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- periodicals; Psychiatrie -- Périodiques; 616.89
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.08.049
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0165-1781

Abstract

Abstract: The PTSD diagnosis and latent structure were substantially revised in the transition from DSM-IV to DSM-5. However, three alternative models (i.e., anhedonia model, externalizing behavior model, and hybrid model) of PTSD fit the DSM-5 symptom criteria better than the DSM-5 factor model. Thus, the psychometric performance of the DSM-5 and alternative models' PTSD factor structure needs to be critically evaluated. The current study examined whether gender or trauma directness (i.e., direct or indirect trauma exposure) moderates the PTSD latent structure when using the DSM-5 or alternative models. Model performance was evaluated with measurement invariance testing procedures on a large undergraduate sample ( n =455). Gender and trauma directness moderated the DSM-5 PTSD and externalizing behavior model and did not moderate the anhedonia and hybrid models' latent structure. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed. Highlights: DSM-5 and externalizing behavior PTSD models were noninvariant to gender and trauma proximity. Anhedonia and hybrid PTSD models were invariant to gender and trauma proximity. Additional moderators of PTSD factor structure need examination.