The SCID PTSD module's trauma screen: validity with two samples in detecting trauma history

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Trauma Studies

Background:

• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis requires identifying exposure to traumatic events.
• Screening tools are essential for efficient trauma history assessment in clinical settings.
• The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) includes a trauma screen for event history.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the SCID trauma screen compared to the Stressful Life Events Screening Questionnaire (SLESQ).
• To assess the performance of a modified SCID trauma screen (M-SCID).
• To determine the impact of using the SCID screen on PTSD case identification.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of the SCID trauma screen and SLESQ in medical patients and college students.
• Inclusion of a modified SCID trauma screen (M-SCID) for further evaluation.
• Assessment of probable PTSD diagnoses using the PTSD Symptom Scale.

Main Results:

• The SCID trauma screen demonstrated 76% sensitivity in medical patients and 66% in college students.
• The M-SCID yielded poorer trauma identification results among college students.
• Using the standard SCID screen missed 11-14% of PTSD cases due to unrecorded trauma histories.

Conclusions:

• The SCID trauma screen is a valuable tool for identifying trauma histories, particularly when comprehensive assessments are limited.
• While effective, the SCID screen may miss a proportion of PTSD cases.
• Further research supports the utility of the SCID trauma screen in clinical practice.