Objective: To create a short screening scale for the detection of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDE) in earthquake survivors in Taiwan.
Method: Trained research assistants used the Disaster-Related Psychological Screening Test (DRPST) to assess 461 residents of a village that had experienced a major earthquake. The participants were also evaluated by psychiatrists using the Mini-International Neuro-psychiatric Interview (MINI). Best subset regression analysis and the receiver operating characteristics curve were used to select a subset of items and cut-off points from the DRPST.
Results: A seven-symptom scale and a three-symptom analogue were selected for PTSD and MDE screening, respectively. Scores of three or more on the PTSD scale and two or more on the MDE scale were used to define a group of positive cases that provide useful information for the patient cohort and will be valuable in long-term follow-up studies of the prevalence of psychiatric diseases following a natural disaster. However, higher scores could also be used to define positive cases under limited psychiatric care resources.
Conclusion: The DRPST, which was administered for phase 1 of this two-phase study, may be used for effective and rapid screening for PTSD and MDE after an earthquake, despite the usual limitations on resources following a disaster.