A factor analytic comparison of five models of PTSD symptoms

• Published in: Journal of anxiety disorders Vol. 23; no. 2; pp. 269 - 274
• Main Authors: Lancaster, Steven L, Melka, Stephen E, Rodriguez, Benjamin F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ltd 01-03-2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; Biological and medical sciences; Depression; Factor analysis; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Factor structures; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; PTSD Checklist; PTSD symptoms; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - diagnosis; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Symptoms; Trauma; Traumatic life events; Young Adult; PTSD symptoms; PTSD Checklist; Factor analysis; Trauma; Symptomatology; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Models; Comparative study; Stress; Anxiety disorder
• ISSN: 0887-6185; 1873-7897
• DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2008.08.001

Abstract This study examined the factor structure of PTSD symptoms in a sample of college students ( n = 344) reporting exposure to a range of traumatic events. The sample was randomly split and an exploratory factor analysis was conducted with half of the sample. The factor structure obtained in the exploratory analysis was evaluated against three other models using confirmatory factor analysis utilizing the second half of the sample. This series of factor analyses identified and confirmed a three-factor symptom structure consisting of intrusion/avoidance, dysphoria, and hyperarousal clusters. These results add to the body of literature which has found that PTSD includes a cluster of symptoms shared with other diagnoses (dysphoria) and a more specific factor related directly to the effects of encountering traumatic experiences.