Trauma Test (PC-PTSD-5)
Free trauma screener using the PC-PTSD-5 (Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5-TR). 5 yes/no questions covering re-experiencing, avoidance, negative mood, hyperarousal, and numbing. Positive screen ≥3. Links to full PCL-5. Prins et al. (2016).
This trauma test uses the PC-PTSD-5 (Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5-TR), a validated 5-item PTSD screener. Positive screen: ≥3 of 5 items. Used across primary care, emergency, and general clinical settings. Prins et al. (2016). Connects to the full PCL-5.
About This Trauma Test
This trauma test uses the PC-PTSD-5 (Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5-TR), a validated 5-item yes/no PTSD screener developed by Prins and colleagues (2016) for use in primary care and general medical settings. It first asks about trauma exposure, then assesses the five most discriminating PTSD symptom domains: re-experiencing, avoidance, negative mood, hyperarousal, and emotional numbing.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) develops in approximately 20% of people after traumatic events and affects about 3.5% of the US adult population annually. Trauma types associated with highest PTSD rates include combat, sexual assault, and childhood abuse. Complex PTSD (C-PTSD), recognized in ICD-11, develops after prolonged or repeated trauma (childhood abuse, domestic violence, captivity) and adds disturbances in self-organization, emotion dysregulation, negative self-concept, and relational difficulties, to core PTSD symptoms.
A positive PC-PTSD-5 screen (≥3 items) warrants further assessment using the full PCL-5 (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5-TR), a 20-item self-report measure that maps to all DSM-5-TR PTSD criteria. Evidence-based PTSD treatments include Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and EMDR, all evidence-based treatment approaches with strong Level A evidence.
Trauma Screener (PC-PTSD-5)
In the past month, have you had any of the following reactions to a distressing experience?
Sometimes things happen to people that are unusually or especially frightening, horrible, or traumatic. For example: a serious accident or fire; being physically or sexually assaulted or abused; seeing someone seriously injured or killed; a sudden death of someone close to you; war or combat; natural disaster.
Have you ever experienced this kind of event?
In the past month, have you:
PTSD Symptom Clusters (DSM-5-TR)
DSM-5-TR PTSD requires Criterion A (trauma exposure) plus symptoms across four clusters lasting >1 month with significant impairment.
PTSD and Trauma Screening Tools
PTSD Outcome Tracking in HiBoop
PCL-5, PC-PTSD-5, PHQ-9, and GAD-7, integrated trauma and PTSD outcome monitoring for outpatient, VA, and trauma-specialized programs.
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