APPLICATION OF THE PTSD SYMPTOMS SCALE (PSS) FOR IRANIAN PTSD PATIENTS

Background: This study investigated the applicability of the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Scale (PSS) in a group of adolescents who had been directly involved in a disaster in Tehran. Method: Participants were 20 adolescents who had survived a boat sinking in Tehran's city park in 2002. The assessment measures used were the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Scale (PSS) and clinical interview based on DSM-IV. Results: Seventeen participants (85%) were diagnosed with PTSD using PSS and seventeen (90%) were diagnosed with PTSD by psychiatric interview. Conclusion: The PSS appears to be an effective and efficient method of screening for PTSD