Citation

Carl Y, Vega A, Cardona-Acevedo G, Stukova M, Matos-Rivera M, Torres-Sanchez A, Milián-Rodríguez M, Torres-Mercado B, Burgos G, Tremblay RL. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022; 19(9): e5204.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/ijerph19095204

PMID

35564598

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.

Language: en

Keywords

mental health; PTSD; depression; anxiety; cutoff; disaster medicine; hurricane; PHDS