Screening for posttraumatic stress disorder in civilian substance use disorder patients: Cross-validation of the Jellinek-PTSD screening questionnaire

Abstract

This study aimed to cross-validate earlier findings regarding the diagnostic efficiency of a modified version of the Primary Care Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PC-PTSD) screening questionnaire (A. Prins, P. Ouimette, R. Kimerling, R. P. Cameron, D. S. Hugelshofer, J. Shaw-Hegwer, et al., 2004). The PC-PTSD is a four-item screening questionnaire for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Based on former research, we adapted the PC-PTSD for use among civilian substance use disorder (SUD) patients (D. Van Dam, T. Ehring, E. Vedel, & P. M. G. Emmelkamp, 2010). This version will be referred to as the Jellinek-PTSD (J-PTSD) screening questionnaire. Results showed a high sensitivity (.87), specificity (.75), and overall efficiency (.77) of the J-PTSD in detecting PTSD when using a cutoff score of 2. This confirms findings in former research, and suggests that the J-PTSD is a useful screening instrument for PTSD within a civilian SUD population. Both PTSD and SUD are severe and disabling disorders causing great psychological distress. An early recognition of PTSD among SUD patients makes it possible to address PTSD symptoms in time, which may ultimately lead to an improvement of symptoms in this complex patient group.