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Brief report: Utility of a short screening scale for DSM-IV PTSD in primary care

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Abstract

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.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Syracuse VA Medical Center, Syracuse, NY, USA

    Paige Ouimette PhD

  2. San Jose State University and VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Annabel Prins PhD

  3. Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA

    Casey Lawler MS

  4. VA Palo Alto Health Care System and Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Ruth Cronkite PhD & Rudolf H. Moos PhD

  5. National Center for PTSD, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, 795 Willow Rd., PTSD-334, 94025, Menlo Park, CA

    Rachel Kimerling PhD & Patrick Nisco PhD

Authors
  1. Rachel Kimerling PhD
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  2. Paige Ouimette PhD
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  3. Annabel Prins PhD
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  4. Patrick Nisco PhD
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  5. Casey Lawler MS
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  6. Ruth Cronkite PhD
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  7. Rudolf H. Moos PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rachel Kimerling PhD.

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The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

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Kimerling, R., Ouimette, P., Prins, A. et al. Brief report: Utility of a short screening scale for DSM-IV PTSD in primary care. J GEN INTERN MED 21, 65–67 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2005.00292.x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2005.00292.x

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