The Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) is a
questionnaire
A questionnaire is a research instrument that consists of a set of questions (or other types of prompts) for the purpose of gathering information from respondents through survey or statistical study. A research questionnaire is typically a mix of ...
developed for measuring the severity of
panic disorder
Panic disorder is a mental and behavioral disorder, specifically an anxiety disorder characterized by reoccurring unexpected panic attacks. Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear that may include palpitations, sweating, shaking, ...
.
The clinician-administered PDSS is intended to assess severity and considered a reliable tool for monitoring of treatment outcome.
Self-report form of the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS-SR) is used to detect possible symptoms of panic disorder, and suggest the need for a formal diagnostic assessment.
The PDSS consists of seven items, each rated on a 5-point scale, which ranges from 0 to 4. The items assess panic frequency, distress during panic, panic-focused anticipatory
anxiety
Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil
Turmoil may refer to:
* ''Turmoil'' (1984 video game), a 1984 video game released by Bug-Byte
* ''Turmoil'' (2016 video game), a 2016 indie oil tycoon video ...
, phobic avoidance of situations, phobic avoidance of physical sensations, impairment in work functioning, and impairment in social functioning. The overall assessment is made by a total score, which is calculated by summing the scores for all seven items. The total scores range from 0 to 28.
The PDSS-SR is used for
screening and the scores 9 and above suggest the need for a formal diagnostic assessment.
See also
*
Diagnostic classification and rating scales used in psychiatry
Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of a certain phenomenon. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines, with variations in the use of logic, analytics, and experience, to determine " cause and effect". In systems enginee ...
*
Panic and Agoraphobia Scale
References
{{Reflist
Anxiety screening and assessment tools
External links
PDSS self-report form