Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24816642›Full record

ArticlePloS one2014

Comparing screening instruments to predict posttraumatic stress disorder.

Joanne Mouthaan, Marit Sijbrandij, Johannes B Reitsma, Berthold P R Gersons, Miranda Olff

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 42 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
42citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

42 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  2. Prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptoms among physicians - A meta-analysis.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2025
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  8. Intranasal Oxytocin Affects Amygdala Functional Connectivity after Trauma Script-Driven Imagery in Distressed Recently Trauma-Exposed Individuals.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2016
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Joanne MouthaanDepartment of Psychiatry, Centre for Anxiety Disorders, Research Group Psychotrauma, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Marit SijbrandijClinical Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Johannes B ReitsmaDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Julius Centre for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Berthold P R GersonsDepartment of Psychiatry, Centre for Anxiety Disorders, Research Group Psychotrauma, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group, Diemen, The Netherlands.
Miranda OlffDepartment of Psychiatry, Centre for Anxiety Disorders, Research Group Psychotrauma, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group, Diemen, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFollowing traumatic exposure, a proportion of trauma victims develops posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Early PTSD risk screening requires sensitive instruments to identify everyone at risk for developing PTSD in need of diagnostic follow-up.

aimsThis study compares the accuracy of the 4-item SPAN, 10-item Trauma Screening Questionnaire (TSQ) and 22-item Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) in predicting chronic PTSD at a minimum sensitivity of 80%.

methodInjury patients admitted to a level-I trauma centre (N = 311) completed the instruments at a median of 23 days and were clinically assessed for PTSD at 6 months. Areas under the curve and specificities at 80% sensitivity were compared between instruments.

resultsAreas under the curve in all instruments were adequate (SPAN: 0.83; TSQ: 0.82; IES-R: 0.83) with no significant differences. At 80% sensitivity, specificities were 64% for SPAN, 59% for TSQ and 72% for IES-R.

conclusionThe SPAN, TSQ and IES-R show similar accuracy in early detection of individuals at risk for PTSD, despite differences in number of items. The modest specificities and low positive predictive values found for all instruments could lead to relatively many false positive cases, when applied in clinical practice.

Indexed as

Surveys and QuestionnairesAdultArea Under CurveFemaleHumansMaleMass ScreeningMiddle AgedNetherlandsPredictive Value of TestsRisk AssessmentSensitivity and SpecificityStress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Identifiers

PMID24816642
PMCPMC4016271

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.