Utility of the impact of event scale in screening for posttraumatic stress disorder

A.B. Witteveen, I. Bramsen, J.E. Hovens, H.M. Van Der Ploeg

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study assesses the optimal cut-off point for the Impact of Event Scale and compares its screening properties with those of the Self-rating Inventory for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among war-related trauma victims. 74 patients with war-related trauma were administered the Impact of Event Scale and the Self-rating Inventory for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, followed 1 wk. later by the Clinician-administered PTSD Scale. Receiver operating characteristic analysis indicated for the Impact of Event Scale a sensitivity of .77 and a specificity of .51 at a cut-off value of 36. For the Self-rating Inventory for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder a sensitivity of .86 and a specificity of .69 were found at a cut-off value of 52. The authors conclude that careful use of the Impact of Event Scale as a screening measure for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is warranted. © Psychological Reports 2005.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)297-308
Number of pages12
JournalPsychological Reports
Volume97
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2005

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