Los Angeles Symptom Checklist (LASC)
Description
The LASC is a 43-item self-report measure of PTSD and associated features. The LASC does not key to any specific trauma and inquires about the presence of problems in the past month. The 17 DSM-IV symptoms of PTSD are embedded among other items that assess more general psychological distress. Items are rated on a 5-point scale ranging from 0 ("no problem") to 4 ("extreme problem"). A preliminary diagnosis of PTSD can be derived by using DSM-IV criteria with a symptom counting toward diagnosis if it is rated at 2 or higher. In addition, a continuous measure of PTSD symptom severity can also be computed by summing the ratings of the 17 items corresponding to the symptoms of PTSD. A sum of all 43 items provides an index of global assessment of distress and adjustment problems that may be a consequence of trauma exposure.
Sample Item
- "Difficulty falling asleep." (Respondents are asked to rate how much of a problem the item is for them.)
Versions
An LASC for adolescents is also available.
References
King, Lynda A; King, Daniel W; Leskin, Gregory Alan; Foy, David W. (1995). The Los Angeles Symptom Checklist: a self-report measure of posttraumatic stress disorder. Assessment, 2, 1-17
Additional Reviews
Orsillo (2001) p. 270.
Orsillo, Susan M. (2001). Measures for acute stress disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder. In M.M. Antony & S.M. Orsillo (Eds.), Practitioner's guide to empirically based measures of anxiety (pp. 255-307). New York: KluwerAcademic/Plenum. PILOTS ID 24368
To obtain scale, contact
David Foy, Ph.D.
Email requests preferred -
dfoy@pepperdine.edu
Graduate School of Education & Psychology
Pepperdine Unversity
16830 Ventura Boulevard, Suite #200
Encino, CA 91436