The development of a clinician-administered PTSD scale
Corresponding Author
Dudley David Blake
Psychology Service (116B), Boise VA Medical Center, 500 W. Fort Street, Boise, ID 83702–4598
Clinical Laboratory and Education Division, National Center for PTSD, Palo Alto Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Psychology Service (116B), Boise VA Medical Center, 500 W. Fort Street, Boise, ID 83702–4598Search for more papers by this authorFrank W. Weathers
Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD, Boston Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine
Search for more papers by this authorLinda M. Nagy
Neurosciences Division, National Center for PTSD, West Haven Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Yale University School of Medicine
Search for more papers by this authorDanny G. Kaloupek
Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD, Boston Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine
Search for more papers by this authorFred D. Gusman
Clinical Laboratory and Education Division, National Center for PTSD, Palo Alto Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Search for more papers by this authorDennis S. Charney
Neurosciences Division, National Center for PTSD, West Haven Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Yale University School of Medicine
Search for more papers by this authorTerence M. Keane
Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD, Boston Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Dudley David Blake
Psychology Service (116B), Boise VA Medical Center, 500 W. Fort Street, Boise, ID 83702–4598
Clinical Laboratory and Education Division, National Center for PTSD, Palo Alto Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Psychology Service (116B), Boise VA Medical Center, 500 W. Fort Street, Boise, ID 83702–4598Search for more papers by this authorFrank W. Weathers
Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD, Boston Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine
Search for more papers by this authorLinda M. Nagy
Neurosciences Division, National Center for PTSD, West Haven Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Yale University School of Medicine
Search for more papers by this authorDanny G. Kaloupek
Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD, Boston Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine
Search for more papers by this authorFred D. Gusman
Clinical Laboratory and Education Division, National Center for PTSD, Palo Alto Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Search for more papers by this authorDennis S. Charney
Neurosciences Division, National Center for PTSD, West Haven Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Yale University School of Medicine
Search for more papers by this authorTerence M. Keane
Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD, Boston Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Several interviews are available for assessing PTSD. These interviews vary in merit when compared on stringent psychometric and utility standards. Of all the interviews, the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-1) appears to satisfy these standards most uniformly. The CAPS-1 is a structured interview for assessing core and associated symptoms of PTSD. It assesses the frequency and intensity of each symptom using standard prompt questions and explicit, behaviorally-anchored rating scales. The CAPS-1 yields both continuous and dichotomous scores for current and lifetime PTSD symptoms. Intended for use by experienced clinicians, it also can be administered by appropriately trained paraprofessionals. Data from a large scale psychometric study of the CAPS-1 have provided impressive evidence of its reliability and validity as a PTSD interview.
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