Scale Overview
The Panic Disorder Severity Scale – Self-Report (PDSS-SR) was developed by Shear, M.K., Brown, T.A., Barlow, D.H., Money, R., Sholomskas, D.E., Woods, S.W., Gorman, J.M., Papp, L.A. (1997). It is designed to measure Panic Disorder Severity. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 7 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = None / Not at all distressing / No interference, 1 = Mild / Mildly distressing / Slight interference, 2 = Moderate / Moderately distressing / Significant interference, 3 = Severe / Severely distressing / Substantial impairment, 4 = Extreme / Extremely distressing / Incapacitating impairment.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 28. Interpretation guidelines:
- Below clinical threshold: 0 – 8
- Suggests need for formal diagnostic assessment: 9 – 28
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha of 0.64.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.