Validation of the PCL-5, PHQ-9, and GAD-7 in a Sample of First Responders

This study aimed to validate certain measures for assessing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and generalized anxiety in treatment-seeking first responders (FRs) using confirmatory factor analysis on a sample of 390 FRs. The findings indicated that a seven-factor hybrid configuration was the best fit for assessing PTSD. For depression, a two-factor structure encompassing cognitive-affective and somatic depression was the best fit, while generalized anxiety was found to be a unidimensional construct. The study suggests the need for follow-up studies to validate these measures across different subtypes of FRs. This validation contributes to the existing literature, has clinical implications for healthcare providers treating FRs, and provides recommendations for further research in this area.