Citation

Schützwohl M, Maercker A. J. Trauma. Stress 1999; 12(1): 155-165.

Affiliation

Dresden University of Technology, Germany.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1023/A:1024706702133

PMID

10027149

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the appropriateness of different diagnostic criteria sets for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This was done by varying diagnostic criteria on the diagnosis of PTSD in a study group of N = 146 former political prisoners, and comparing the resulting diagnostic groups with a study group of N = 75 nontraumatized controls with regard to mean scores on measures of subjective distress (i.e., IES-R, BDI, BAI, SCL-90-R). The findings did not support the diagnostic boundaries as defined by the DSM-IV or the lowering of the avoidance criterion from three to two symptoms. The concept of partial PTSD appeared to be the most appropriate way to provide diagnostic coverage for those who did not meet full DSM IV criteria.

Language: en