Symptom Driven Diagnostic Scale as a Screen?

• PRIME-MD by Steven Locke, M.D., 10/21/96
  
  

In a discussion about the use of PRIME-MD and other screeners, a colleague from the University of Illinois at Chicago suggested the Symptom Driven Diagnostic Scale developed by Upjohn. Like PRIME-MD, this is a measure meant to screen for psychological problems in medical patients. My colleague likes the SDDS because it screens for more anxiety disorders and seems to have fewer false positives. One of the publications using the measure is, Olfson, Leon, Broadhead, Weissman, Barrett, Blacklow, Gilbert & Higgins, 1995 The SDDS-PC: A Diagnostic Aid for Multiple Mental Disorders in Primary Care, in Psychopharmocology Bulletin, Vol. 31 pp. 415-420. According to the abstract, the SDDS screens for major depression, panic disorder, alcohol abuse or dependence, generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder as well as suicidal ideation. The screen involves a 5 minute patient administered 16 item questionnaire and six 5 minute physician administered diagnostic interview modules used when patients screen positive for a disorder. If others have been using screeners in medical populations, I join with Steve Locke in asking you to share your comments on the forum.

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