The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5): comparing responsivity with the Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45) and practical utility
background The ptsd Checklist for the dsm-5 (pcl-5) may be a suitable addition for routine outcome monitoring (rom) for patients with ptsd.
aim To determine whether the pcl-5 is worth the extra effort that administration requires from the patient.
method Pretest and retest measurement results of the pcl-5 and the oq-45 were compared head-to-head in 464 patients from the Sinai Center of Arkin.
results The correlations between scores on the instruments were high and analysis of variance for repeated measurements revealed no difference in responsiveness. Comparison of Cohen’s d (0.49 vs. 0.43) and Delta T (5.0 vs. 4.4), indicated a slightly better responsiveness of the pcl-5 and also the proportion of recovered patients was greater according to the pcl-5 compared to the oq-sd.
conclusion At first glance, the pcl-5 and the oq-sd were equally sensitive to detect change during treatment. However, the pcl-5 provided more detailed information about the nature and severity of symptomatology in an individual patient and with the pcl-5 we were slightly better able to demonstrate clinical significant change than with the oq-sd. We recommend to add the pcl-5 to rom for patients with ptsd.