Psychometric properties of a brief measure of posttraumatic stress disorder-related impairment: The Brief Inventory of Psychosocial Functioning.

This study validated the Brief Inventory of Psychosocial Functioning (B-IPF), an abridged version of the 80-item Inventory of Psychosocial Functioning (IPF; Bovin et al., 2018). The B-IPF-a 7-item self-report questionnaire that assesses posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related psychosocial functional impairment-was developed for use in settings in which the full IPF would be too time intensive to administer. In this study, we examined the psychometric properties of the B-IPF among a sample of 362 veterans recruited from 2 Veterans Affairs hospitals. The B-IPF demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .84) and adequate test-retest reliability (r = .65, p < .001). The B-IPF was strongly correlated with the IPF (r = .71, p < .01) and had higher correlations with measures of mental health impairment and quality of life (all rs > ∥.50∥; all ps < .001) than with a measure of physical health impairment (i.e., the Physical Component Summary; r = -.34; p < .001), which demonstrated strong construct validity. In addition, the B-IPF displayed strong criterion-related validity, with higher correlations with a PTSD symptom measure, (r = .63, p < .05), and measures of other internalizing disorders (all rs > .44; all ps < .05) and a lower correlation with a measure of an externalizing disorder (r = .14; p < .05). These results indicate that the B-IPF is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing PTSD-related impairment. The strong psychometric properties of the instrument, in addition to its length, make it ideal for settings in which time is a factor. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

The Impact of Assessment Modality and Demographic Characteristics on Endorsement of Military Sexual Trauma.

OBJECTIVES: Military sexual trauma (MST) is a pervasive problem among veterans, and is associated with a host of deleterious outcomes. It is, therefore, imperative to identify individuals who have experienced MST so that they can be offered appropriate treatment. To determine how to best identify MST survivors, the current study examined how different assessment modalities might affect MST endorsement, and whether endorsement varied as a product of demographic group membership. METHODS: Data from 697 male and female veterans participating in the Veterans' After-Discharge Longitudinal Registry (Project VALOR) were used to examine how three different MST assessment modalities-the Veterans Health Administration screen, a study interview, and a study questionnaire measure-might affect MST endorsement across five different demographic variables (gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, race, and age). Each participant was evaluated for MST exposure using each of the three assessment modalities. RESULTS: Both assessment modality and demographic membership influenced MST endorsement. MST endorsement on the study measures was consistently twice as large as on the Veterans Health Administration screen, across demographic groups. For men, MST endorsement varied by a factor of 11 across measures, with endorsement being lowest on the Veterans Health Administration screen and highest on the study questionnaire. Although differences were also detected for sexual minority and Black participants, these findings may have been better explained by gender differences. CONCLUSIONS: Both assessment modality and demographic membership substantially influenced MST endorsement. Providing a clear rationale for screening and increasing privacy around screening results, particularly for male veterans, may help to facilitate MST disclosure.