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Brief screening instrument for post-traumatic stress disorder
Chris R Brewin1, Suzanna Rose, Bernice Andrews
1Subdepartment of Clinical Health Psychology, University College London, UK.
Summary
A new brief screening tool effectively detects post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by assessing re-experiencing or arousal symptoms. Its performance is comparable to full clinical interviews, offering a validated method for PTSD detection.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Trauma Studies
Background:
- Brief screening instruments are valuable for detecting post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Existing brief instruments for PTSD lack adequate validation.
- There is a need for simple, validated tools for PTSD screening.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate and cross-validate a new brief instrument for PTSD detection.
- To assess the simplicity of administration and scoring of the new instrument.
Main Methods:
- Forty-one rail crash survivors completed a questionnaire.
- A structured clinical interview was administered to participants one week later.
- The instrument's performance was replicated using data from 157 crime victims.
Main Results:
- Endorsement of at least six re-experiencing or arousal symptoms accurately predicted PTSD diagnosis.
- The screening tool demonstrated excellent predictive value for PTSD.
- Replication in a separate cohort confirmed the findings.
Conclusions:
- The new brief instrument's performance is equivalent to the agreement between two full clinical interviews.
- This validated tool offers a reliable and efficient method for PTSD screening.
- The findings support the use of this instrument in clinical settings.