Brief report: Utility of a short screening scale for DSM-IV PTSD in primary care.
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.
Kimerling
Rachel
R
VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA 94025, USA. Rachel.kimerling@med.va.gov
Ouimette
Paige
P
Prins
Annabel
A
Nisco
Patrick
P
Lawler
Casey
C
Cronkite
Ruth
R
Moos
Rudolf H
RH
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