Validation of Modified DRRI Scales in a National Sample of OEF/OIF Veterans
Dawne S Vogt PhD BA
VA Boston Healthcare System Jamaica Plain Campus, Jamaica Plain, MA
Boston, MA
Funding Period: April 2010 - September 2012

BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
The Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory (DRRI) is a widely used suite of scales for assessing psychosocial risk and resilience factors experienced prior to, during, and following deployment. In an earlier phase of this project, modifications were made to existing DRRI scales and several new scales were developed to enhance the content coverage and applicability to contemporary Veteran cohorts. Focus areas for the new scales included an expanded assessment of combat-related stressors and family-related factors across deployment.

OBJECTIVE(S):
The overall objective of this project, which has two waves of data collection, is to conduct a systematic empirical investigation of modified DRRI scales in a sample of OEF/OIF Veterans. The objective for Wave I was to examine initial item and scale characteristics for new and modified DRRI scales and evaluate the psychometric quality of these measures vis-a-vis the original DRRI scales. The objectives for Wave II are to measure and document scale characteristics for the finalized scales (DRRI-2), and examine the discriminant validity, criterion-related validity, and discriminative validity of finalized DRRI-2 scales.

METHODS:
In Wave I, the original and revised DRRI items and scales were administered to a national sample of 469 OEF/OIF Veterans. To examine initial item and scale characteristics, Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT) analyses were applied. In Wave II, finalized DRRI-2 scales and health measures were administered to a second sample of 1041 OEF/OIF veterans, and data are currently being analyzed using CTT and IRT methods.

FINDINGS/RESULTS:
In Wave I, revised and new DRRI scales demonstrated high internal consistency (alpha coefficients averaging .85) and strong relationships with posttraumatic stress symptomatology (correlations averaging .37), suggesting that the revised scales did not result in decrements to the DRRI's internal consistency or criterion-related validity. An incremental validity assessment demonstrated that the new scales improved upon the predictive utility of the original DRRI. IRT analyses were used to further assess reliability and identify redundant items, resulting in shortened scales for several of the measures. Wave II findings will be available shortly.

IMPACT:
The long-term goal of this project is to provide an updated suite of scales that is optimally useful to assess factors that increase risk for PTSD and other health problems among military personnel who experience deployment.

PUBLICATIONS:

Journal Articles

1. Smith BN, Vaughn RA, Vogt D, King DW, King LA, Shipherd JC. Main and interactive effects of social support in predicting mental health symptoms in men and women following military stressor exposure. Anxiety Stress Coping. 2011 Nov 21; 26(1):52-69.

Book Chapters

1. Vogt DS, King LA, King DW. Risk pathways for PTSD: Making sense of the literature. In: Resick PA, Keane TM, Friedman MJ, editors. Handbook of PTSD: Science and practice. New York, NY: Guilford Press; 2012. Chapter 2. 99-115 p.

Conference Presentations

1. Wells SY, Smith BY, Vaughn RA, DiLeone B, Wang JM, Vogt DS. Family-related Factors during Deployment and Postdeployment Mental Health Symptoms in Male and Female OEF/OIF Veterans. Poster session presented at: International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Annual Meeting; 2012 Nov 3; Los Angeles, California.

DRA: Health Systems, Mental, Cognitive and Behavioral Disorders, Military and Environmental Exposures
DRE: Epidemiology, Etiology, Diagnosis
Keywords: Clinical Diagnosis and Screening, Deployment Related, Operation Enduring Freedom, Reintegration Post-Deployment, Risk factors
MeSH Terms: none