Posttraumatic stress disorder after treatment for breast cancer: Prevalence of diagnosis and use of the PTSD Checklist—Civilian Version (PCL—C) as a screening instrument.

Abstract

The presence of a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis in women (n = 82) diagnosed with Stage 0-IIIA breast cancer was assessed 6 to 72 months after cancer therapy. The PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C) and the PTSD module for the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, Nonpatient Version, PTSD module (SCID-NP-PTSD) were administered in a telephone interview. SCID-NP-PTSD results indicated prevalence rates of 6% and 4% for current and lifetime PTSD, respectively. Use of the recommended cutoff score of 50 on the PCL-C to determine diagnosis of current cancer-related PTSD resulted in a sensitivity of .60 and a specificity of .99 with 2 false-negative diagnoses. In conclusion, PTSD can be precipitated by diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, and the PCL-C can be a cost-effective screening tool for this disorder.

Journal

Title: Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

Abbreviated Title: Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)

ISSN (Electronic): 1939-2117

ISSN (Print): 0022-006X

Publication date Created: 1998

Publication date (Electronic): 1998

Volume: 66

Issue: 3

Pages: 586-590

Article

PubMed ID: 9642900

Copyright statement: © 1998

Product

Self URI (article page): http://doi.apa.org/getdoi.cfm?doi=10.1037/0022-006X.66.3.586