title: The SCID PTSD module's trauma screen: validity with two samples in detecting trauma history.
abstract: We investigated the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) module's trauma screen of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID), a single-item traumatic event history query. Compared to the Stressful Life Events Screening Questionnaire (SLESQ), the SCID trauma screen was 76% sensitive in identifying trauma histories in 199 medical patients (correctly ruling out 67%) but only 66% sensitive in 253 college students (ruling out 87%). A modified, more behaviorally specific SCID trauma screen (M-SCID) yielded poorer results in identifying trauma among 245 additional college students. Based on probable PTSD diagnoses (PTSD Symptom Scale), using the SCID screen instead of the SLESQ, 3% (M-SCID screen) to 11-14% (standard SCID) of PTSD cases were missed due to not having a trauma history. Our results lend support to previous research establishing the SCID trauma screen as a useful screening device in settings where a more comprehensive trauma screen is not possible.
authors.affiliation: Disaster Mental Health Institute, The University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069-2390, USA. jonelhai@fastmail.fm
authors.forename: Jon D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Elhai
authors.forename: C Laurel
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Franklin
authors.forename: Matt J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gray
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult