Grant Details
Grant Number: |
1R21CA223832-01A1 Interpret this number |
Primary Investigator: |
Recklitis, Christopher |
Organization: |
Dana-Farber Cancer Inst |
Project Title: |
Identifying Ptsd in Young Adult Cancer Survivors in the Dsm-5 Era: Are Newly Revised Pro Measures Accurate Compared to a Structured Diagnostic Interview? |
Fiscal Year: |
2018 |
Abstract
PROJECT SUMMARY
Following their treatment, young adult cancer survivors (YACS) are at increased risk for psychological
adjustment problems, including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a psychiatric disorder characterized by
re-experiencing, avoidance, mood and cognitive symptoms following a traumatic event. PTSD is a chronic
debilitating disorder affecting as many as 20% of YACS, with significant negative impact on their emotional
health, quality of life, and employment, even many years after treatment completion. Despite this significant
burden, many YACS with PTSD are not identified and treated, principally because validated assessment
methods are not available for this group. Identifying PTSD in YACS is complicated by the overlap of PTSD
symptoms with symptoms of other psychiatric disorders, normal developmental challenges, and medical late-
effects of cancer treatment, and because PTSD symptoms may not appear for months or years after cancer
treatment. Several self-report symptom checklist measures have been developed to identify individuals with
PTSD, but these have not been well validated in YACS. Moreover, all major PTSD assessment measures were
recently revised following the introduction of a new Diagnostic & Statistical Manual for Psychiatric Diagnoses
(DSM-5) in 2013. Consequently, all studies of PTSD in cancer survivors to date used PTSD measures that are
now obsolete. This significant revision of PTSD criteria and measures provides a critical opportunity to improve
both research and clinical care of YACS with PTSD, but only if these new measures are empirically validated.
To address this need, we propose to validate several recently revised PTSD checklist measures in a sample of
250 YACS. Using an interviewer administered Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders (SCID) as a
“gold standard,” the validity of the revised PTSD Checklist (PCL-5), the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS-
5), and the Primary Care PTSD Screen (PC-PTSD) will be assessed. Prior versions of the PCL and PDS have
been widely used in cancer survivors, and the 4-item PC-PTSD has been applied across medical settings, but
these measures have never been validated against a psychiatric interview in YACS. Following
recommendations from the National Center for PTSD we will examine validity of these measures for identifying
YACS with PTSD diagnoses, and for identifying those with Partial PTSD (P-PTSD), defined as significant
symptoms of PTSD without a PTSD diagnosis, a condition widely reported in cancer survivors. The primary
aim is to investigate validity of the newly revised self-report PTSD measures (PC-PTSD, PCL-5 & PDS-5)
compared to the SCID, and determine optimal criteria to identify YACS with PTSD and P-PTSD. Secondary
aims will be to determine if PTSD and P-PTSD are associated with impaired quality of life in YACS and to
explore how novel brief symptom burden and impairment measures can be used to improve the accuracy of
PTSD checklist measures in YACS. Findings will have immediate implications for investigators studying PTSD
in YACS, and for clinicians evaluating and treating YACS for psychological late-effects of treatment.
Publications
Evaluating posttraumatic stress in young adult cancer survivors: Implications of revised DSM-5 traumatic event criteria.
Authors: Recklitis C.J.
, Michaud A.
, Blackmon J.E.
, Orsillo S.
, Chang G.
.
Source: Psycho-oncology, 2023 Jun; 32(6), p. 895-903.
EPub date: 2023-04-11 00:00:00.0.
PMID: 36973915
Related Citations
Validation of the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) for identifying insomnia in young adult cancer survivors: comparison with a structured clinical diagnostic interview of the DSM-5 (SCID-5).
Authors: Michaud A.L.
, Zhou E.S.
, Chang G.
, Recklitis C.J.
.
Source: Sleep Medicine, 2021 May; 81, p. 80-85.
EPub date: 2021-02-04 00:00:00.0.
PMID: 33640841
Related Citations
Sleep in young-adult cancer survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Authors: Zhou E.S.
, Michaud A.L.
, Owens J.
, Recklitis C.J.
.
Source: Journal Of Clinical Sleep Medicine : Jcsm : Official Publication Of The American Academy Of Sleep Medicine, 2020-11-15 00:00:00.0; 16(11), p. 1991.
PMID: 32720640
Related Citations