TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2019//
TI  - Post-Hurricane Distress Scale (PHDS): a novel tool for first responders and disaster researchers
JO  - Disaster medicine and public health preparedness
A1  - Carl, Yonatan
A1  - Ortiz, Ediricardo Rodríguez
A1  - Cintrón, Moisés
A1  - Vega, Andy
A1  - Font, Cristina
A1  - Stukova, Marina
A1  - Blundell, Andrew
A1  - Gutierréz, Ashley N.
A1  - Burgos, Raúl Ferrer
SP  - 82
EP  - 89
VL  - 13
IS  - 1
N2  - 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>
LA  - en
SN  - 1935-7893
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2019.12
ID  - ref1
ER  -