Validation of a brief measure of posttraumatic stress disorder: the Distressing Event Questionnaire (DEQ).

The Distressing Event Questionnaire (DEQ) is a brief instrument for assessing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) according to criteria provided in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.). The DEQ possesses high internal consistency and exhibited satisfactory short-term temporal stability in studies with Vietnam War combat veterans and battered women. In a sample of Vietnam War veterans and 4 separate samples of abused women (with histories of incest, rape, intimate partner abuse, or prostitution and abuse), the DEQ exhibited very good discriminative validity when judged against structured interview assessment of PTSD. The DEQ exhibited strong convergent validity with other PTSD measures and other indexes of adjustment and also exhibited strong convergent validity as a measure of PTSD across ethnic groups in both the veteran sample and the combined women's sample.

Development and preliminary validation of a brief broad-spectrum measure of trauma exposure: the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire.

This article describes the development and preliminary validation of a brief questionnaire that assesses exposure to a broad range of potentially traumatic events. Items were generated from multiple sources of information. Events were described in behaviorally descriptive terms, consistent with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV posttraumatic stress disorder stressor criterion A1. When events were endorsed, respondents were asked if they experienced intense fear, helplessness, or horror (stressor criterion A2). In separate studies with college students, Vietnam veterans, battered women, and residents of a substance abuse program, most items possessed adequate to excellent temporal stability. In a study comparing questionnaire and structured-interview inquiries of trauma history, the 2 formats yielded similar rates of disclosure. Preliminary data on positive predictive power are also presented.

Development and validation of the sources of trauma-related guilt survey-war-zone version.

Despite clinical observations that many veterans have multiple sources of war-related guilt, many problematic guilt issues are commonly not treated or even detected by clinicians. We describe development of a survey that systematically assesses idiosyncratic sources of guilt across the spectrum of events that are potential sources of trauma-related guilt from the war-zone. A multimethod strategy was used to develop a survey with strong content validity-Results indicate the survey is temporally stable, substantially correlated with other measures of guilt, and highly correlated with measures of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Findings confirm that many Vietnam veterans have multiple sources of severe war-related guilt. The survey may have important clinical utility for problem identification, treatment planning, and evaluating treatment efficacy.

PTSD among women survivors of domestic violence in Hawaii.

Empirical evidence suggests that between 33% and 83% of Hawaii women receiving services from programs that serve battered women meet diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In addition, PTSD symptom severity is associated with depression severity, lowered self-esteem, and diminished quality of life. Combined with evidence that domestic violence often goes on for years, these findings provide additional compelling reasons why domestic violence screening should be conducted routinely in medical settings.

Relationship of cynical hostility and PTSD among Vietnam veterans.

The personality construct of cynical hostility, as measured by the Cook-Medley scale (an MMPI subscale), has been implicated as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. A literature review suggests that Vietnam veterans exhibit many cynical hostility-like characteristics. We examined the association between Cook-Medley scores and PTSD among Vietnam and other-era veterans. Study 1 involved analyses of data from 1293 MMPIs administered at Department of Veterans Affairs in Honolulu between 1986-1991. Cook-Medley scores were highly correlated with MMPI PTSD scores, and Vietnam Era veterans obtained higher scores than veterans from other eras. In Study 2, twenty nine Vietnam veterans with PTSD disability ratings obtained very high Cook-Medley scores which were higher than Vietnam Era veterans without rated PTSD. Findings indicate that the cynical hostility literature has considerable relevance for study of PTSD and suggest that PTSD veterans may have heightened risk for developing cardiovascular disease. Several directions for future research are suggested.

A cognitive model of guilt typology in combat-related PTSD.

Dysfunctional guilt is a prominent feature of combat-related, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The present article describes a model of combat-related guilt that distinguishes guilt types on the basis of specific false assumptions and errors of logic that are frequently associated with different kinds of traumatic circumstances. Two common types of combat-related guilt based on this conceptualization are described and cognitive relabeling treatment strategies which have a "type" specific focus are outlined. The needs for research on guilt assessment among trauma survivors and for interventions that focus explicitly on guilt management are discussed.

Verbalized anger and accusatory "you" messages as cues for anger and antagonism among adolescents.

This study investigated the impact of communications of negative feelings between adolescents in close relationships. High school boys and girls were asked to imagine discussing a relationship problem with a personally close partner and to rate likely reactions to four kinds of statements: assertively expressed distress, assertively expressed anger, aggressively expressed distress, and aggressively expressed anger. Accusatory "you" statements were rated as more aversive and evoked stronger antagonistic response inclinations than assertive "I" statements. Statements depicting anger were rated as more aversive and evoked stronger antagonistic response inclinations than statements depicting distress. Results were similar for boys and girls. Implications of the findings and directions for further research are discussed.

A coding procedure for teachers.

An observational technique for reliably estimating the per cent of time a student engages in appropriate and inappropriate classroom behavior is described. The regular classroom teacher can utilize the procedure without deviating from regular routine, and the obtained data can serve as a basis for dispensing token reinforcement.