A longitudinal evaluation of the Mississippi scale for combat-related PTSD in detecting war-related stress symptomatology

✍ Scribed by Patrick Sloan; Linda Arsenault; Mark J. Hilsenroth

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 65 KB
• Volume: 54
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-9762
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-4679(199812)54:8<1085::aid-jclp8>3.0.co;2-l

✦ Synopsis

The long-term psychological effects of war-related stress were assessed 3 years after the Persian Gulf War with the Mississippi Scale for Desert Storm War Zone Personnel (M-PTSD-DS), developed from the Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD (M-PTSD; Keane, Caddell, & Taylor, 1988). The M-PTSD-DS scores of 30 Marine reservists were compared with the number of DSM-III-R PTSD criteria each met at two points in time, initially at 3 months after the Gulf War and again 3 years later. Findings support the construct validity (sensitivity) of this scale in the immediate and longitudinal measurement of relatively nonpathological degrees of warrelated stress in reservists not involved in direct fighting. Initial level of PTSD symptomatology upon returning from a war zone was predictive of M-PTSD-DS scores 3 years later. This scale was effective in detecting varying degrees of war-related stress in this self-selected group of reservists and warrants further study.