Los Angeles Symptom Checklist: Psychometric Evidence With an Adolescent Sample

Abstract

The Los Angeles Symptom Checklist (LASC) is a self-report measure of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and general distress that has been used with a variety of adult trauma populations. This study provided psychometric support for the instrument's use with adolescents. Internal consistency estimates were .90 and .95 for the 17-item PTSD index and the 43-item full-scale index, respectively. When mean scores were compared across trauma exposure groups, results were supportive of the LASC's ability to detect symptoms of posttrauma sequelae. Confirmatory factor analysis findings supported three highly correlated factors representing the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) symptom categories of reexperiencing, avoidance and numbing, and arousal.