Trauma & PTSD Screener (PC-PTSD-5)
Five yes-or-no questions about how a frightening or traumatic experience is affecting you now. Developed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' National Center for PTSD.
Trauma & PTSD Screener
Under 2 minutes · 5 questions
Sometimes things happen to people that are unusually or especially frightening, horrible, or traumatic — a serious accident or fire, a physical or sexual assault, an earthquake or flood, a war, seeing someone be killed or seriously injured, or having a loved one die through homicide or suicide.
The Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5) asks whether an experience like that is still affecting you. If you have experienced something like this, answer for the past month. You can stop at any point — these questions can be difficult, and there is no obligation to finish.
This is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. Only a licensed clinician can diagnose a mental health condition.
About the PC-PTSD-5
Do I need to have been in combat or a disaster for this to apply?
No. PTSD can follow any event that was frightening, horrible, or traumatic — including assault, a serious accident, a medical emergency, childbirth, the sudden loss of someone close to you, or witnessing harm to another person. The nature of the event matters far less than how your nervous system responded to it.
Is PTSD treatable?
Yes, and the results are among the strongest in mental health care. Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and EMDR all have substantial evidence, typically over a course of 8 to 16 sessions. Medication can also help, particularly with sleep, hypervigilance, and co-occurring depression.
I found these questions upsetting. Is that a bad sign?
It is a common one. Reading about trauma can activate the same responses the questions are asking about. If you feel distressed right now, try slowing your breathing, orienting to your surroundings, or calling someone you trust. If distress is intense or persistent, call or text 988 — the line is for emotional crises of any kind, not only suicidal thoughts.
Other screeners
Circle Psychiatry offers evaluations, medication management, and therapy in Colorado Springs and by telehealth across Colorado. Book online, or call 719-208-4027. In a crisis, call or text 988, or call 911.