A systematic review of PTSD measures

A systematic review was carried out with the objective of learning about PTSD measures, paying special attention to malingering. Firstly, 338 abstracts from empirical papers were selected and analyzed, and then 129 articles were selected by means of ad hoc categories that had been previously constructed. Apart from empirical papers using PTSD measures, we found papers devoted to psychometric validation of PTSD instruments, testing of factor models and neural correlates. PTSD measures were coded according type to of instrument (detection and assessment of PTSD and simulation), psychometric tests concerning cognitive functions, psychometric tests for the detection of comorbidity and neural correlates. Results indicate that many of the instruments for assessing PTSD consist of self-reports and clinical interviews, which facilitates malingering.