The SPRINT is a brief, global assessment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that assesses symptoms of intrusion, avoidance, numbing and arousal, and related aspects of PTSD (somatic distress, stress vulnerability and impairment in function). Developed by Connor & Davidson (2001) for use with adults (18+ years), its design followed a need for a less time consuming, yet structured PTSD-specific measure.
The SPRINT is an eight-item self-report, with one item corresponding to each of the above symptoms, which is measured on a five-point likert scale (e.g. 0 = not at all, 4 = very much). The SPRINT includes two additional items that allows for the measurement of global improvement and symptom change over time, particularly useful for following up treatment. The assessment takes 5-10 minutes to complete. Sample items include:
How much have you been bothered by unwanted memories, nightmares, or reminders of the event?
How much would you get upset when stressful events or setbacks happen to you?
Scoring
Scores from each item are summed to attain a final score. The maximum score is 32 and represents the most severe symptom state, while a cutoff score of 14 has been suggested by authors to warrant further assessment using a structured interview for PTSD.
Psychometric properties
The SPRINT has demonstrated good test-retest reliability (ICC = .78), high internal consistency (α = .88), good convergent validity against a comparable PTSD symptom measure (Davidson Trauma Scale [DTS], r = .73) and good divergent validity against the Sheehan Social Support Scale (r = .10). A score of 14-17 has been associated with a 96% diagnostic accuracy. The SPRINT is sensitive to treatment effects, again significantly correlating with the DTS (r = .66). The SPRINT has also been found to correlate with the gold standard diagnostic assessment tool for PTSD, the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS; Vaishnavi, Connor & Davidson, 2006).
Use & Availability
The SPRINT is time efficient, reliable, valid and freely available at https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/assessment/screens/sprint.asp, along with further information. The SPRINT is particularly useful in settings where rapid assessment is desirable, however it is not as comprehensive as the CAPS.
References
Connor, K. M., & Davidson, J. R. T. (2001). SPRINT: A brief global assessment of post-traumatic stress disorder. International Clinical Psychopharmacology, 16(5), 279-284.
National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. (2016). SPRINT. Retrieved from https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/assessment/screens/sprint.asp
Vaishnavi, S., Payne, V., Connor, K., & Davidson, J. R. T. (2006). A comparison of the SPRINT and CAPS assessment scales for posttraumatic stress disorder. Depression and Anxiety, 0, 1-4. doi: 10.1002/da.20202