The psychometric properties of the Bangla Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5): preliminary reports from a large-scale validation study

Abstract Background The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5) is the most widely used screening tool in assessing posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders (DSM-5) criteria. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric prope...

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Main Authors: Md. Saiful Islam, Most. Zannatul Ferdous, Md. Safaet Hossain Sujan, Rafia Tasnim, Jakir Hossain Bhuiyan Masud, Sourav Kundu, Abu Syed Md. Mosaddek, M. Shahabuddin K. Choudhuri, Ibrahim A. Kira, David Gozal
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2022-04-01
Series:BMC Psychiatry
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-022-03920-4
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Summary:Abstract Background The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5) is the most widely used screening tool in assessing posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders (DSM-5) criteria. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the newly translated Bangla PCL-5. Methods A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 10,605 individuals (61.0% male; mean age: 23.6 ± 5.5 [13–71 years]) during May and June 2020, several months after the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak in Bangladesh. The survey included the Bangla PCL-5 and the PHQ-9 depression scale. We used confirmatory factor analysis to test the four-factor DSM-5 model, the six-factor Anhedonia model, and the seven-factor hybrid model. Results The Bangla PCL-5 displayed adequate internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.90). The Bangla PCL-5 score was significantly correlated with scores of the PHQ-9 depression scale, confirming strong convergent validity. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated the models had a good fit to the data, including the four-factor DSM-5 model, the six-factor Anhedonia model, and the seven-factor hybrid model. Overall, the seven-factor hybrid model exhibited the best fit to the data. Conclusions The Bangla PCL-5 appears to be a valid and reliable psychometric screening tool that may be employed in the prospective evaluation of posttraumatic stress disorder in Bangladesh.
ISSN:1471-244X