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. 2023 Jan:319:114994.
doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114994. Epub 2022 Nov 28.

Factor structure of the posttraumatic stress disorder checklist (PCL-17) in 279,897 million veteran program participants

Cassie Overstreet  1 , Daniel F Levey  2 , Hang Zhou  2 , Kelly M Harrington  3 , Rachel Quaden  4 , Murray B Stein  5 , Joel Gelernter  2 , Robert H Pietrzak  6 ; Million Veteran Program  7
Affiliations

Factor structure of the posttraumatic stress disorder checklist (PCL-17) in 279,897 million veteran program participants

Cassie Overstreet et al. Psychiatry Res. 2023 Jan.

Abstract

The Million Veteran Program (MVP) uses the posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSD) Checklist 17 (PCL-17) self-report to assess PTSD. Existing literature suggests that the five-factor dysphoric arousal model best represents the PTSD symptom clusters; this can be tested within MVP, one of the largest samples collected with suitable data. We compared factor models within MVP across genetically defined subsamples (ancestry [European, African, admixed American, and East Asian], sex) via multi-group confirmatory factor analyses in a sample of 279,897 participants. The five-factor dysphoric arousal model best fit the PCL-17 data, consistent with previous findings. The factor structure could also be imposed across all groups tested. Verifying the factor structure provides a framework for future phenotypic and genotypic analyses within MVP and other samples.

Keywords: Five factor dysphoric arousal model; Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis; Posttraumatic stress disorder.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest C.O., D.L., H.Z., K.H., R.Q., J.G., and R.P. have no conflicts of interest to declare. M.B.S has in the past 3 years received consulting income from Acadia Pharmaceuticals, Aptinyx, atai Life Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bionomics, BioXcel Therapeutics, Clexio, Eisai, EmpowerPharm, Engrail Therapeutics, Janssen, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, NeuroTrauma Sciences, PureTech Health, Sumitomo Pharma, and Roche/Genentech. Dr. Stein has stock options in Oxeia Biopharmaceuticals and EpiVario. He is paid for his editorial work on Depression and Anxiety (Editor-in-Chief), Biological Psychiatry (Deputy Editor), and UpToDate (Co-Editor-in-Chief for Psychiatry). He is on the scientific advisory board for the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation and the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Loadings for Five-factor Model in Full Sample (N = 279,897).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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