Posttraumatic stress disorder symptomology as measured by PCL‐5 and its relationships to resilience, hostility and stress among paramedics and social professionals

This survey study aimed to contribute to the extensive debate on the dimensionality of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for the DSM‐5 (PCL‐5) questionnaire by examining the psychometric properties and construct validity of its Hungarian version and relying on the inspection of a conceptual network of related variables, that is, perceived stress, hostility, and resilience. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) and path analysis were applied on data collected from 177 paramedics and 66 professionals from the social field (58.4% male; Mage = 43.5 ± 9.96 years). Despite the acceptable fit indices gained with CFA when testing the original four‐factor DSM‐5 model of PCL‐5, strong associations (r = 0.69–0.90) between subscales were found. Thus, ESEM was applied and as a result a new, three‐factor version of the DSM‐5 model of PCL‐5 was proposed due to significant crossloadings that was theoretically also supported. The Reexperiencing and Avoidance subscales were merged and named Difficulty with Assimilation of Experience (DAE). In the path analysis only two of the tested associations were not significant using the new factor structure, in which stress fully mediated the relationship between resilience and DAE, and resilience and Hyperarousal. Overall, the hypothesised pathways between variables fit the collected data well. (weighted least squares mean‐and variance‐adjusted χ2 = 503.750 (df = 270), comparative fit index = 0.948, Tucker–Lewis index = 0.939, root mean square error of approximation (90% confidence interval) = 0.064 (0.055–0.073), weighted root mean square residual = 1.024). Our analysis of the Hungarian version of PCL‐5 contributes to the testing of a DSM‐5‐based questionnaire measuring posttraumatic stress disorder symptomology.