ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This paper explored the factor structure of the PCL-5 within a sample of U.K. primary and secondary care mental health service users. Much of the previous investigations into the PCL-5 have been conducted on military or emergency service personnel; therefore, it is important to understand the validity of this tool within a broader sample. In addition to this concerns have been raised over the statistical validity of much of the previous research. METHOD: An exploratory factor analysis was used to determine the factor structure of the PCL-5 within this population. RESULTS: The results of this study suggest that several items of the PCL-5 should be removed, and this presents a 3-factor structure whereby the factors are Anhedonia, Intrusion and Negative alterations in Mood and Cognition. CONCLUSIONS: This challenges much of the previous literature, which suggested 4, 6, and 7 factor models. The implications of this are discussed in detail in this paper. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
