The Peritraumatic Distress Inventory: A Proposed Measure of PTSD Criterion A2

• DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.158.9.1480
• Publication Date: 2002-10-11T18:20:39Z
• Authors: Alain Brunet; Daniel S. Weiss; Thomas J. Metzler; Suzanne R. Best; Thomas C. Neylan; Cynthia Rogers; Jeffrey Fagan; Charles R. Marmar
• Keywords: Convergent validity

OBJECTIVE: Meeting criterion A2 for the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in DSM-IV requires that an individual have high levels distress during or after traumatic event. Because paucity valid and reliable instruments assessing such responses, authors developed a 13-item self-report measure, Peritraumatic Distress Inventory, to obtain quantitative measure level experienced immediately METHOD: The cross-sectional study group comprised 702 police officers 301 matched nonpolice comparison subjects varying ethnicity gender who were exposed wide range critical incidents. RESULTS: Inventory was found be internally consistent, with good test-retest reliability convergent divergent validity. Even controlling peritraumatic dissociation general psychopathology, scores correlated two measures symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: holds promise as PTSD A2. Future studies should prospectively examine ability predict its associated biological cognitive correlates other trauma-exposed groups.