Validation of a screening instrument for posttraumatic stress disorder in a community sample of Bedouin men serving in the Israeli Defense Forces

Abstract

This study evaluates the performance of the Screen for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (SPTSS) in the assessment of a high-risk ethnic minority sample. Participants included 317 Bedouin men serving in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), who disclosed extensive trauma and loss. The sensitivity and specificity of the SPTSS were calculated using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) as the criterion for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which was diagnosed in 14.5% of respondents. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis using the SPTSS total mean scores maximized classification accuracy at a cut point of 5.5, yielding equal sensitivity and specificity rates of 89%. Likelihood ratios indicated that men with positive screens who did not meet criteria for PTSD were likely to report significant emotional distress and functional impairment.