SOTS: Symptoms of Trauma Scale Pilot Study

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is becoming widely recognized as a disease with high prevalence and co-morbidity. Making psychosocial and pharmacological treatments more available is a high priority for future studies and clinical trials. In order to ensure that these treatments are evaluated both for safety and for efficacy, a robust, valid, and practical measure is required that will allow investigators to accurately gather data and compare findings using common metrics. While a number of screening and diagnostic instruments for PTSD are currently in use, scales sensitive to changes in symptom severity are needed to evaluate current and evolving treatments. The Symptoms of Trauma Scale (SOTS) is a recently developed nine-item, seven-point severity scale developed to assess baseline and change in the symptoms of trauma. The scale has been authored collaboratively by clinicians working with PTSD patients, expert psychometricians, and recognized experts on the evaluation and treatment of trauma. Designed using key principles applied in developing the PANSS, a widely used scale for assessment of symptoms in other mental disorders, the SOTS has the elements required for reliable, valid use, e.g. clear but flexible definitions of trauma symptoms, well- defined anchoring points, an accompanying structured clinical interview, and a questionaire for informant information. In order to compare the SOTS to existing psychometric batteries, the investigators propose to conduct a pilot study in a sample of patients at the Victims of Violence Program, one of the longest running treatment programs for PTSD in the US. Comparing SOTS data to scores from other instruments within and amongst newly diagnosed and long-term patients, analyses will include preliminary investigations of validity and reliability, ease-of-use data, and time requirements for training, administration, and scoring. Qualitative endpoints will include evaluations of utility, de-identified subject reactions, and ongoing reviews by a panel of experts in the field of trauma research. This project will help develop and validate tools to facilitate research and treatment for trauma-related disorders. These disorders affect millions of men and women throughout the United States and around the world. By developing the "Symptoms of Trauma Scale", the investigators and collaborators on this project will enable the development of effective behavioral and pharmacologic treatments for trauma-related disorders.