The Influence of Service Era: Comparing Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) Scale Scores Within a Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Treatment Clinic (PCT)

Research is mixed on the role of service era in symptom endorsement among Veterans, with differences emerging depending on the instrument evaluated. This study compares Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) scale scores of VA test-takers who served during the Vietnam, Desert Storm, or Post-9/11 service eras. The sample was collected at a VA Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Clinical Team. Associations between gender and combat exposure were also examined as covariates. Results suggest that Veterans’ self-report on the PAI is influenced by service era, even after accounting for gender and combat exposure during deployment. The largest differences were between Vietnam or Post-9/11 Veterans and those from the Gulf War era. Symptom differences typically varied across scales commonly associated with symptoms of trauma exposure/posttraumatic stress disorder. Implications for the clinical use of, and research with, the PAI and other broadband personality assessments within the VA healthcare system and trauma treatment settings are discussed.