Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026
Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder
Published on: March 8, 2018
Brief report: Utility of a short screening scale for DSM-IV PTSD in primary care
Rachel Kimerling1, Paige Ouimette, Annabel Prins
1VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA 94025, USA. Rachel.kimerling@med.va.gov
Objective:
To evaluate Breslau's 7-item screen for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for use in primary care.
Design:
One hundred and thirty-four patients were recruited from primary care clinics at a large medical center. Participants completed the self-administered 7-item PTSD screen. Later, psychologists blinded to the results of the screen-interviewed patients using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). Sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios (LR) were calculated using the CAPS as the criterion for PTSD.
Results:
The screen appears to have test-retest reliability (r=.84), and LRs range from 0.04 to 13.4.
Conclusions:
Screening for PTSD in primary care is time efficient and has the potential to increase the detection of previously unrecognized PTSD.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
01:22Self-Report Tests of Personality
01:27Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...