@article{ref1,
title="Post-Hurricane Distress Scale (PHDS): a novel tool for first responders and disaster researchers",
journal="Disaster medicine and public health preparedness",
year="2019",
author="Carl, Yonatan and Ortiz, Ediricardo Rodríguez and Cintrón, Moisés and Vega, Andy and Font, Cristina and Stukova, Marina and Blundell, Andrew and Gutierréz, Ashley N. and Burgos, Raúl Ferrer",
volume="13",
number="1",
pages="82-89",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was the construction and validation of a novel research instrument to quantify the degree of post-hurricane trauma and distress in an affected population. The Post-Hurricane Distress Scale (PHDS) has quantitative measures of both acute and prolonged distress, attributable to meteorological and hydrological disasters. <br><br>METHODS: A careful evaluation of existing questionnaires, as well as extensive canvasing of the post-Maria population of Puerto Rico, availed the construction of the PHDS. The PHDS consists of 20 items, organized into 4 subscales. The PHDS was pre-validated (n=79), revised, and then distributed to a broad sampling of the post-Hurricane Maria Puerto Rican population (n=597). Validation, including factor analysis, analyses of concurrent validity, discriminant validity, and internal reliability, was performed. <br><br>RESULTS: After comparing various scales, factor loading profiles, concurrent validities, and models of fit, we show that the PHDS is best scored as a single 0-6 distress scale. When compared with the Traumatic Exposure Severity Scale, the PHDS shows superior concurrent validity, more accurately predicting scores for the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory, Impact of Event Scale - Revised, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 Scale. The PHDS shows good internal reliability and discriminant validity. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The PHDS represents a novel, useful instrument for disaster first-responders and researchers. The prompt identification of high-risk populations is possible using this instrument. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:82-89).<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1935-7893",
doi="10.1017/dmp.2019.12",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2019.12"
}