The Peritraumatic Distress Inventory: Factor structure and predictive validity in traumatically injured patients admitted through a Level I trauma center

Peritraumatic distress is defined as the emotional and physiological distress experienced during and/or immediately after a traumatic event and is associated with the development and severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related psychological difficulties. The Peritraumatic Distress Inventory (PDI) is a widely-used self-report measure for which psychometric evaluation has been limited. This study sought to assess the factor structure and predictive validity of the PDI with a clinical sample of 600 traumatically injured patients admitted to a Level I trauma center, 271 of whom completed a phone-based PTSD screening ∼30-days post-injury. The results confirmed previously proposed one- and two-factor solutions for the PDI. PDI scores predicted PTSD severity and positive PTSD screens (i.e., clinically elevated vs. non-elevated). Data suggested an optimal cutoff score of 23 (sensitivity = 71%; specificity = 73%) for predicting clinically elevated PTSD 30-days post-injury. This study provides further evidence supporting the PDI as a valid and reliable measure of peritraumatic distress and a useful clinical tool with significant prognostic value.