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. 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.