Findings indicated that although studies generally met st and ards in several quality areas , there is still room for improvement .
Areas for improvement include establishing representativeness , adequately describing clinical and demographic characteristics of the sample , and presenting better descriptions of important aspects of test and reference st and ard execution .
In addition , study quality has not appreciably improved since the publication of the STARD Statement in 2003 .
Despite the popularity of the PTSD Checklist ( PCL ) as a clinical screening test , there has been no comprehensive quality review of studies evaluating its diagnostic accuracy .
Trajectories of PTSD: a 20-year longitudinal study.
OBJECTIVE This study assessed the psychopathological effects of combat in veterans with and without combat stress reaction . METHOD Veterans ( N=214 ) from the 1982 Lebanon War were assessed in a prospect i ve longitudinal design : 131 suffered from combat stress reaction during the war , and 83 did not . They were evaluated 1 , 2 , 3 , and 20 years after the war . RESULTS Combat stress reaction is an important vulnerability marker . Veterans with combat stress reaction were 6.6 times more likely to endorse posttraumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) at all four measurements , their PTSD was more severe , and they were at increased risk for exacerbation/reactivation . A qualitative analysis of the profile of PTSD symptoms revealed some time-related changes in the symptom configuration of veterans who did not suffer from combat stress reaction . In both groups , the course fluctuated ; PTSD rates dropped 3 years postwar and rose again 17 years later ; 23 % of veterans without combat stress reaction reported delayed PTSD . CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the detrimental effects of combat are deep and enduring and follow a complex course , especially in combat stress reaction casualties . The implication s of aging and ongoing terror in impeding recovery from the psychological wounds of war are discussed
Findings indicated that although studies generally met st and ards in several quality areas , there is still room for improvement .
Areas for improvement include establishing representativeness , adequately describing clinical and demographic characteristics of the sample , and presenting better descriptions of important aspects of test and reference st and ard execution .
In addition , study quality has not appreciably improved since the publication of the STARD Statement in 2003 .
Despite the popularity of the PTSD Checklist ( PCL ) as a clinical screening test , there has been no comprehensive quality review of studies evaluating its diagnostic accuracy .