title: Brief report: Utility of a short screening scale for DSM-IV PTSD in primary care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate Breslau's 7-item screen for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for use in primary care.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
authors.affiliation: VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA 94025, USA. Rachel.kimerling@med.va.gov
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kimerling
authors.forename: Paige
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ouimette
authors.forename: Annabel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prins
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nisco
authors.forename: Casey
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lawler
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cronkite
authors.forename: Rudolf H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Moos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires