Exploring Agreement Between Adolescent Self-Reported PTSD Symptoms and Clinical Diagnoses on a Psychiatric Inpatient Unit

Abstract

ABSTRACT A significant number of adolescents in the U.S. experience traumatic events, putting them at risk for developing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Despite this risk, PTSD is not a commonly assigned diagnosis in psychiatric settings. The current study examined rates of psychiatrist-reported PTSD (PR-PTSD) diagnoses compared to probable PTSD diagnoses based on adolescent self-reported PTSD (SR-PTSD) symptoms on a psychiatric inpatient unit (n = 151, age 13–17). Self-report measures included questions on exposure to trauma and The Child PTSD Symptom Scale for DSM-5 (CPSS-5). Approximately 60% of participants met criteria for a “probable PTSD diagnosis” on the CPSS-5; however, only 10 out of 151 (6.6%) and 58 out of 151 (38.4%) were given PR-PTSD at admission and at discharge, respectively. Chi-square analyses indicated adolescents with SR-PTSD were more likely to have previous psychiatric admissions, χ2(1, N = 149) = 3.87, p = .049. There was also a significant association between SR-PTSD and suicide risk, χ2(3, N = 148) = 9.93, p = .019. Both the null and low suicide risk groups contributed the most to predicting SR-PTSD based on the standardized residuals being ±1.96. Additionally, SR-PTSD and insurance status were significantly associated, χ2(1, N = 147) = 4.48, p = .034. All of the cells equally contributed to the significance. When comparing diagnosis given at admission to SR-PTSD, agreement was poor (κ=.070, p = .043), and there was no agreement between diagnosis given at discharge and SR-PTSD (κ=.116, p = .074). Findings from the study highlight a discrepancy in SR-PTSD and PR-PTSD in adolescent psychiatric settings.