title: Brief measure of posttraumatic stress reactions: impact of Event Scale-6.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Impact of Event Scale-revised (IES-R) is one of the most widely used measures of posttraumatic stress reactions. However, for some purposes, such as large epidemiological studies, there is a need for briefer instruments. The aim of this study was to develop and validate an abbreviated version of the IES-R that could capture the three current symptom clusters of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Stepwise multiple regression was applied to abbreviate the IES-R in one sample. The abbreviated version was then tested in three separate samples of individuals exposed to different kinds of potentially traumatic events. Agreement with a reference measure of PTSD, the PTSD checklist (PCL), was calculated for the abbreviated and the full-scale versions of IES.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The abbreviation procedure resulted in a subset of six items (the IES-6), which correlated highly (pooled correlation = 0.95) with the IES-R across samples. Correlations between the IES-6 and IES-R subscales were somewhat lower (r = 0.78-0.94). Both the IES-6 and IES-R were in high agreement with the PCL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The IES-6 appears to be a robust brief measure of posttraumatic stress reactions. It may be useful for research in epidemiological studies, and it may also have a role as a screening instrument in clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, Kirkeveien 166, 0407, Oslo, Norway. siri.thoresen@nkvts.unirand.no
authors.forename: Siri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thoresen
authors.forename: Kristian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tambs
authors.forename: Ajmal
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.forename: Trond
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Heir
authors.forename: Venke A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Johansen
authors.forename: Jonathan I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Bisson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D057189:Checklist; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004190:Disasters / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires