Post-Hurricane Distress Scale (PHDS): Determination of General and Disorder-Specific Cutoff Scores

Yonatan Carl, Andy Vega, Gina Cardona-Acevedo, Marina Stukova, Melissa Matos-Rivera, Anamaris Torres-Sanchez, Melissa Milián-Rodríguez, Brian Torres-Mercado, Grisel Burgos and Raymond L. Tremblay
Additional contact information
Yonatan Carl: San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas 00726, Puerto Rico
Andy Vega: Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
Gina Cardona-Acevedo: Universidad Central del Caribe, Bayamón 00960, Puerto Rico
Marina Stukova: University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA
Melissa Matos-Rivera: San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas 00726, Puerto Rico
Anamaris Torres-Sanchez: San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas 00726, Puerto Rico
Melissa Milián-Rodríguez: San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas 00726, Puerto Rico
Brian Torres-Mercado: San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas 00726, Puerto Rico
Grisel Burgos: San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas 00726, Puerto Rico
Raymond L. Tremblay: San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas 00726, Puerto Rico

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 9, 1-12

Abstract: The Post-Hurricane Distress Scale (PHDS) was developed to assess mental health risk in the aftermath of hurricanes. We derive both disorder-specific cutoff values and a single nonspecific cutoff for the PHDS for field use by disaster relief and mental health workers. Data from 672 adult residents of Puerto Rico, sampled 3 to 12 months after Hurricane Maria, were collected. Participants completed a five-tool questionnaire packet: PHDS, Kessler K6, Patient Health Questionnaire 9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM V (PCL-5). ROC curves, AUC values, sensitivities, specificities, Youden’s index, and LR+ ratios are reported. The recommended single cutoff value for the PHDS is 41, whereby a respondent with a PHDS score of 41 or above is deemed high-risk for a mental health disorder. The single field use PHDS cutoff demonstrated high specificity (0.80), an LR + ratio (2.84), and a sensitivity of 0.56. The mean ROC values of PHDS for Kessler K6, Patient Health Questionnaire 9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7, and PCL-5 were all above 0.74. The derived cutoff for the PHDS allows efficient assessment of respondents’ and/or a community’s risk status for mental health disorders in the aftermath of hurricanes and natural disasters.

Keywords: mental health; PHDS; cutoff; depression; anxiety; PTSD; hurricane; disaster medicine (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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