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Panic Disorder Severity Scale: reliability and validity of the Turkish version
E Serap Monkul1, Umit Tural, Elif Onur
1Department of Psychiatry, Dokuz Eylül University, Izmir, Turkey. monkul@uthscsa.edu
Depression and Anxiety
|September 16, 2004
Summary
The Turkish version of the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) is a reliable and valid tool for assessing panic disorder severity. This validated scale demonstrates strong internal consistency and discriminant validity in Turkish-speaking populations.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychometric Evaluation
Background:
- Panic disorder is a significant mental health concern.
- Accurate assessment of panic disorder severity is crucial for effective treatment.
- Validated diagnostic tools are essential for clinical practice and research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Turkish translation of the seven-item Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS).
- To determine the psychometric properties of the Turkish PDSS in a diverse sample including patients with panic disorder, other anxiety disorders, major depressive episodes, and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- The study involved 174 participants: 104 with DSM-IV panic disorder (with or without agoraphobia), 14 with major depressive episodes, 24 with other anxiety disorders, and 32 healthy controls.
- The Turkish PDSS was administered alongside other established scales, including the Panic and Agoraphobia Scale (P&Ao, P&Asr), Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI), Hamilton Anxiety Scale, and Beck Depression Inventory.
- Test-retest reliability was assessed in a subgroup of 51 panic disorder patients after a 4-week interval.
Main Results:
- The Turkish PDSS demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .92–.94) and good inter-rater reliability (correlation coefficient = .79).
- Test-retest reliability after 4 weeks was found to be .63.
- Discriminant validity was supported by strong correlations with related measures (P&Ao, P&Asr, CGI) and a weaker correlation with the Beck Depression Inventory (r=.29).
- A cut-off score of six/seven indicated high sensitivity (99%) and specificity (98%).
Conclusions:
- The Turkish version of the PDSS is an objective, reliable, and valid instrument for assessing panic disorder severity.
- The findings support the use of the Turkish PDSS in clinical and research settings for Turkish-speaking populations.
- The scale's high sensitivity and specificity suggest its utility in differentiating panic disorder severity.