Comparison between primary care evaluation of mental disorders patient questionnaire and the self-reporting questionnaire as screening tools for psychiatric disorders at the UP-PGH Pain Clinic

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To compare the validities of two instruments- the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders Patient Questionnaire (PRIME-MD PQ) and the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ)- in terms of discriminating between patients with and without psychiatric disorders seen at the UP-PGH Pain Clinic. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, criterion standard SETTING: Pain Clinic at the Department of Outpatient Services SUBJECTS: A total of 102 adult patients assessed by three pain fellow physicians MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Positive or negative results for mental disorders using PRIME-MD PQ and SRQ as screening procedure plotted against psychiatric interview whether positive or negative using a two-by-two contingency table RESULTS: There was good agreement between PRIME-MD PQ and psychiatric interview (k=0.67) whereas poor correlation between SRQ and psychiatric interview (k=0.51). However, with the removal of one item eliciting grandiosity from the "psychotic" items, agreement with the SRQ rose to k=0.76 when all items on psychosis are eliminated (shorter version of SRQ), agreement was almost excellent (k=0.79). CONCLUSION: The modified version of SRQ is slightly superior to the PRIME-MD PQ in discriminating between patients with and without psychiatric disorders at the Pain Clinic.