Examination of the latent structure of DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in Slovakia

Jana Ross; Lada Kaliská; Peter Halama; Petra Lajčiaková; Cherie Armour

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2018.06.028

Examination of the latent structure of DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in Slovakia

Psychiatry Res. 2018 Sep:267:232-239. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.06.028. Epub 2018 Jun 15.

Authors

Jana Ross¹, Lada Kaliská², Peter Halama³, Petra Lajčiaková⁴, Cherie Armour⁵

Affiliations

¹ Psychology Research Institute, Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, UK. Electronic address: j.ross@ulster.ac.uk.
² Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Matej Bel University, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia.
³ Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Trnava University in Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia.
⁴ Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Letters, Catholic University in Ružomberok, Slovakia.
⁵ Psychology Research Institute, Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, UK. Electronic address: c.armour1@ulster.ac.uk.

PMID: 29940453
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.06.028

Abstract

The latent structure of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been widely discussed, with the majority of studies in this area being conducted in the US. The current study aimed to extend this area of research by comparing seven existing PTSD factor models in a sample of 754 trauma-exposed university students from Slovakia, where similar research has not been conducted yet. The sample was predominantly female (83.69%), with a mean age of 22.68 years. The comparison of competing models revealed that the Anhedonia model, consisting of six inter-correlated factors of reexperiencing, avoidance, negative affect, anhedonia, dysphoric arousal and anxious arousal, provided the best fit. Several factors of the Anhedonia model also showed differential relationships with the external variables of anxiety and depression. The study contributes to the limited literature on the latent structure of PTSD in Eastern Europe.

Keywords: Anxiety; DSM-5; Depression; Factor structure; Latent structure; PTSD; Trauma.

Publication types

Comparative Study

MeSH terms

Adult
Affective Symptoms / diagnosis
Affective Symptoms / psychology
Anhedonia
Anxiety Disorders / diagnosis
Anxiety Disorders / psychology
Arousal
Cross-Cultural Comparison*
Depressive Disorder / diagnosis
Depressive Disorder / psychology
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders*
Factor Analysis, Statistical
Female
Humans
Life Change Events
Male
Slovakia
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / diagnosis*
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / psychology
Students / psychology
Young Adult