Portuguese version of the PTSD Checklist-Military Version (PCL-M) - II: diagnostic utility

Objective: War veterans are at high risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the development of brief self-report instruments that enable screening for PTSD in this population is crucial. The PTSD Checklist-Military Version (PCL-M) is widely used for this purpose. This study sought to explore the diagnostic utility of the Portuguese version of the PCL-M. Methods: The participants were 86 Portuguese Colonial War veterans (42 with a PTSD diagnosis and 44 without PTSD). Participants completed a self-report instrument designed to collect sociodemographic data, the PCL-M, and the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). Results: The area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve showed excellent discriminant ability between subjects with and without PTSD (AUC = 0.94). To achieve a positive PTSD diagnosis, an optimal cutoff point of 49 for the PCL-M total score and cutoff points for each of its 17 items are recommended. Conclusions: This work is a relevant contribution for research and clinical practice in the vast population of Portuguese Colonial War veterans. Use of the PCL-M as a screening tool for PTSD symptoms will allow easier, resource-aware targeting of subjects with a potential PTSD diagnosis, adding to the improvement of public health in Portugal. .

Child and adolescent mindfulness measure (CAMM): estudo das características psicométricas da versão portuguesa / Child and adolescent mindfulness measure (CAMM): study of the psychometric properties of the portuguese version

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar a versão portuguesa da Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM) e o estudo da sua estrutura fatorial e características psicométricas numa amostra de 410 adolescentes com uma média de idades de 15,18 anos. Este estudo permitiu concluir que a CAMM constitui um instrumento de autorresposta que revela uma estrutura unidimensional, uma adequada consistência interna (α = 0,80; FC = 0,85) e fidedignidade teste-reteste (r = 0,46). Apresentou ainda correlações negativas com medidas de depressão, ansiedade, inflexibilidade psicológica e correlações positivas com uma medida de comparação social. O valor destas correlações, apesar de diminuir, manteve-se significativo quando controlado o efeito da inflexibilidade psicológica (processo associado ao mindfulness). Na generalidade, a CAMM é uma medida válida e fidedigna para avaliação de competências de mindfulness em crianças e adolescentes...

The aim of this study is to present the Portuguese version of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM) and examine its factorial structure and psychometric properties in a sample of 410 adolescents with mean age of 15.18 years. Results show that the CAMM is a single-factor self-report measure, presenting an adequate internal consistency (α = .80; CR = .85) and test-retest reliability (r = .46). Negative correlations were found with measures of depression, anxiety and psychological inflexibility. On the other hand, positive correlations were found with measures of social comparison. Even when psychological inflexibility effects (process associated with mindfulness) were controlled, the correlations were still significant. Overall, findings suggest that the CAMM is a reliable and valid measure for the assessment of mindfulness skills in children and adolescents...