Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire (PDSQ): Psychometric Properties and Item-Level Empirical Correlates

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Mental Health
• Primary Care Medicine
• Psychometrics and Measurement

Background:

• The Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire (PDSQ) is a tool used for screening mental health conditions.
• Its clinical usefulness, particularly in primary care, requires robust validation of its psychometric properties.
• Understanding item-level correlates is crucial for refining diagnostic precision and clinical interpretation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate scale-level and item-level correlates of the PDSQ.
• To assess the PDSQ's clinical utility and precision in primary care settings.
• To explore gender-based differences in PDSQ correlates.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 234 primary care patients.
• Administered the full Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Disorders-Research Version (SCID-5-RV) for 10 common mental disorders.
• Analyzed PDSQ as the index measure, obtaining item-level correlates without typical skip-out logic.

Main Results:

• PDSQ subscales demonstrated strong internal consistency (M alpha = 0.85) and convergent validity (M r = 0.64).
• Item-level analysis yielded 273 empirical correlates for common diagnoses using stringent criteria (r ≥ 0.35).
• Gender-specific correlates differed for three out of ten disorders.

Conclusions:

• The PDSQ's item-level correlates are empirically validated in both psychiatric and primary care settings.
• The PDSQ provides valuable clinical data on DSM-5 symptoms, offering precise findings via item-level correlates.
• The study confirms the PDSQ's excellent internal consistency and construct validity, supporting its expanded clinical role.