Validation of Malay Trauma Screening Questionnaire

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is prevalent among trauma patients seeking treatment. An easy and reliable screening tool is needed to identify the PTSD symptoms in order to provide early intervention and prevent further complication. Objectives: This study aimed to validate the Malay Trauma Screening Questionnaire (TSQ-M). Methods: The TSQ was translated into Malay language and was administered to 50 trauma patients in orthopaedic clinic and wards in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) and Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II (HRPZ II) in March to May 2010. A clinical interview was conducted using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). Results: The TSQ-M showed a good psychometric property. The internal consistency (Cronbach alpha 0.73) and concurrent validity with CAPS (r = 0.57) are good. At the optimal cut-off score of 5, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values are 0.80, 0.85, 0.48 and 0.96 respectively. Conclusion: The TSQ-M is a valid and reliable tool for screening PTSD in the Malaysian population.