Trauma and Growth: Impact of AIDS Activism

Table 1

Study measures: items, content, score range, and cut-offs (if applicable.

Scale	Number of items	Content	Score	Cut-offs
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) (depression) [23]	9	Consists of the 9 criteria for diagnosis of major depression and minor depression (DSM-IV and 5); provides a provisional diagnosis and also a symptom severity score. Diagnosis of major depression requires ratings of “most days” (3) or “almost every day” (4) on 5+ items including either depressed mood or loss of interest. Minor depression requires only 3 items.; Time frame: past 2 weeks.	0–27	<10 = absent/mild; 10–14 = moderate; 15–19 = moderately severe; ≥20 = severe; Diagnosis: algorithm
PTSD Checklist (PCL) [24–26]	17	Consists of DSM-IV symptoms of PTSD. It generates an approximate diagnosis, using an algorithm that requires 1+ symptoms scored 3+ on individual items from each of 3 symptom clusters.; Time frame: past month.	17–85	>50 = “case”; Diagnosis: algorithm
Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) [27]	10	Questions about frequency and amount plus possible negative consequences and regrets.; Time frame: past year.	0–40	16–19 = mild problem; ≥20 = suggests need for treatment
Self-Efficacy Scale [28]	13	Measures perceived ability to cope effectively “when you’re having problems.” We used 13 of the original 26 items. Example: “Sort out what can be changed and what cannot be changed.” No time frame.	0–130	None
Life Orientation Test (LOT) [29]	12	Designed to measure optimism versus pessimism. Example: “In uncertain times, I usually expect the best.” No time frame.	0–48	≥17 = optimism; <17 = pessimism
Loneliness Scale [30]	10	Ten of the original 20 items, including both negative (“I feel isolated from others”) and positive (“There are people I can talk to”) items, the latter scored in reverse.; Time frame: past 2 weeks.	10–40	None

. Higher scores represent a greater endorsement of the construct being measured. . Score doubled to enable comparison with norms.