Psychometric Validation of the English and French Versions of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)

Andrea R Ashbaugh (1) , Stephanie Houle-Johnson (1) , Christophe Herbert (2) , Wissam El-Hage (3) , Alain Brunet (2)

1 University of Ottawa [Ottawa]
2 McGill University = Université McGill [Montréal, Canada]
3 iBraiN - Imaging, Brain & Neuropsychiatry

The purpose of this study is to assess the psychometric properties of a French version of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), a self-report measure of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and to further validate the existing English version of the measure. Undergraduate students (n = 838 English, n = 262 French) completed the PCL-5 as well as other self-report symptom measures of PTSD and depression online. Both the English and French versions PCL-5 total scores demonstrated excellent internal consistency (English: α = .95; French: α = .94), and strong convergent and divergent validity. Strong internal consistency was also observed for each of the four sub-scales for each version (α's > .79). Test-retest reliability for the French version of the measure was also very good (r = .89). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the four-factor DSM-5 model was not a good fit of the data. The seven-factor hybrid model best fit the data in each sample, but was only marginally superior to the six-factor anhedonia model. The French version of the PCL-5 demonstrated the same psychometric qualities as both the English version of the same measure and previous versions of the PCL. Thus clinicians serving French-speaking clients now have access to this highly used screening instrument. With regards to the structural validity of the PCL-5 and of the new PTSD diagnostic structure of the DSM-5, additional research is warranted. Replication of our results in clinical samples is much needed.

Domaines: Psychiatrie et santé mentale

Andrea R Ashbaugh, Stephanie Houle-Johnson, Christophe Herbert, Wissam El-Hage, Alain Brunet. Psychometric Validation of the English and French Versions of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). PLoS ONE, 2016, 11 (10), pp.e0161645. ⟨10.1371/journal.pone.0161645⟩. ⟨hal-02524236⟩