# Examining the clinical validity of the global psychotrauma screen in refugees

## TL;DR

This study evaluated a screening tool for trauma-related disorders in African war refugees in Australia and found it effective for detecting PTSD, depression, and dissociation.

## Contribution

The study establishes the clinical validity of the Global Psychotrauma Screen for PTSD, depression, and dissociation in a refugee population.

## Key findings

- A PTSD subscale score of 3 or higher efficiently detects probable PTSD (Youden’s J = 0.76).
- Depression and dissociation subscale scores of 1 or higher show high diagnostic efficiency (Youden’s J = 0.72 and 0.90).
- The GPS resilience item showed low convergent validity with a correlation of 0.02.

## Abstract

The Global Psychotrauma Screen (GPS) is a brief transdiagnostic screener that covers a broad range of trauma-related disorders as well as risk factors known to influence the course of symptoms.

We analyzed data from African war refugees in Australia (n = 70), including the GPS, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Disorders (SCID-5), the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5), and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS).

Using the Youden’s J Index to examine the clinical validity of the GPS subscales measuring PTSD, dissociation, depression, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), we found that a PTSD subscale score of 3 or higher, and a depression and dissociation subscale score of 1 or higher, was optimally efficient for detecting a probable diagnosis (Youden’s J = 0.76, J = 0.72, and J = 0.90, respectively) with high sensitivity and specificity. We were unable to test the GPS clinical validity for GAD due to the low GAD occurrence. The GPS resilience item was not related to the total score (r = 0.02), indicating low convergent validity for resilience. Risk factors, including current stressors and childhood trauma history, were related to more severe GPS symptom scores, while lack of resilience, social support, and history of mental illness were not.

We conclude that the GPS may be a useful screening tool for PTSD, depression, and the dissociative subtype in refugees.