Posttrauma Risky Behaviors Questionnaire
Overview
The Posttrauma Risky Behaviors Questionnaire (PRBQ) is a self-report measure assessing PTSD’s E2 Criterion, or the extent of engaging in posttrauma reckless and self-destructive behaviors (RSDBs).
Author/Publisher Details
Ateka A. Contractor, Nicole H. Weiss, and Katherine Dixon-Gordon
Corresponding author: ateka.c@gmail.com
Date
2020
Description
The PRBQ examines the extent of engaging in posttrauma reckless and self-destructive behaviors (RSDBs. It was developed for adults 18 years and older and takes about 5-10 minutes to complete. The PRBQ has 16 items. Items 1-14 assess the extent of past-month engagement in specific RSDBs (0 [never] to 4 [very frequently]). The last two items examine functional impairment and the relation of RSDBs (initiation/worsening) to the onset of the most traumatic event. There is no specific training needed for its administration. Currently, the PRBQ has not been translated into other languages.
Access
The measure can be freely accessed by clicking here.
Scoring and Interpretation
The first 14 items are summed, with higher scores reflecting greater extent of RSDB engagement. There are no diagnostic or severity cut off scores.
Psychometrics
- Amazon MTurk-Recruited Community Sample Endorsing Trauma: The PRBQ demonstrated a unidimensional structure; excellent internal consistency of .94; positive associations with PTSD and depression severity; positive associations with measures assessing overall RSDBs and specific RSDBs (e.g., aggression, alcohol/drug misuse, suicidality, reckless driving); and positive associations with PTSD’s E2 Criterion on the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5.
- Student Sample Endorsing Trauma: The PRBQ demonstrated a unidimensional structure; good internal consistency of .82; positive associations with PTSD as well as depression severity, alcohol misuse, and suicidality; and positive associations with PTSD’s E2 Criterion on the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5.
Key/Core References
Contractor, A. A., Weiss, N. H., Kearns, N. T., Caldas, S. V., & Dixon-Gordon, K. L. (2020). Assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder’s E2 criterion: Development, pilot testing, and validation of the Posttrauma Risky Behaviors Questionnaire. International Journal of Stress Management, 27(3), 292-303. https://doi.org/10.1037/str0000145
Contractor, A. A., Jin, L., Weiss, N. H., & O’Hara, S. (2021). A psychometric investigation of the diagnostic utility of the Posttrauma Risky Behaviors Questionnaire. Psychiatry Research, 296, 113667. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113667
Manual
No manual exists for the PRBQ; it is used in the same way as other self report scales and is self-explanatory. For advice on interpretation, see above and refer to key references.