Utility of the Impact of Event Scale in Screening for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

• Published in: Psychological reports Vol. 97; no. 1; pp. 297 - 308
• Main Authors: Witteveen, Anke B., Bramsen, Inge, Hovens, Johannes E., van der Ploeg, Henk M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.08.2005
• Subjects: Combat Disorders - diagnosis; Combat Disorders - psychology; Female; Humans; Life Change Events; Male; Mass Screening; Middle Aged; Personality Inventory - statistics & numerical data; Psychometrics - statistics & numerical data; Reproducibility of Results; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - diagnosis; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology
• ISSN: 0033-2941; 1558-691X
• DOI: 10.2466/pr0.97.1.297-308

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.