PC-PTSD-5 (Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5)
The Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5): a five-item yes-or-no screen, total 0 to 5.
Open the calculator → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.
Example
- Has the person ever experienced a traumatic event…
- Yes
- In the past month, have you: Had nightmares about the…
- Yes
- In the past month, have you: Tried hard not to think about…
- Yes
- In the past month, have you: Been constantly on guard
- Yes
- In the past month, have you: Felt numb or detached from people
- Yes
- In the past month, have you: Felt guilty or unable to stop…
- No
Result: PC-PTSD-5 4 of 5, at or above both cut points.
The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.
What the result means
- No trauma reported
- The screen is complete with a score of 0 and the five symptom items are not asked.
- 3 or more
- At or above the cut point the source calls optimally sensitive for probable PTSD.
- 4 or more
- At or above the cut point the source calls optimally efficient.
What you enter
- Has the person ever experienced a traumatic event (for example a serious accident, an assault, a natural disaster, war, witnessing someone be injured or killed, or losing someone to homicide or suicide)?
- In the past month, have you: Had nightmares about the event(s) or thought about the event(s) when you did not want to?
- In the past month, have you: Tried hard not to think about the event(s) or went out of your way to avoid situations that reminded you of the event(s)?
- In the past month, have you: Been constantly on guard, watchful, or easily startled?
- In the past month, have you: Felt numb or detached from people, activities, or your surroundings?
- In the past month, have you: Felt guilty or unable to stop blaming yourself or others for the event(s) or any problems the event(s) may have caused?
Full field descriptions
- Has the person ever experienced a traumatic event (for example a serious accident, an assault, a natural disaster, war, witnessing someone be injured or killed, or losing someone to homicide or suicide)? If no, the screen is complete with a score of 0 and the five items below are not asked.
- In the past month, have you: Had nightmares about the event(s) or thought about the event(s) when you did not want to? (Asked only if a traumatic event was reported.)
- In the past month, have you: Tried hard not to think about the event(s) or went out of your way to avoid situations that reminded you of the event(s)? (Asked only if a traumatic event was reported.)
- In the past month, have you: Been constantly on guard, watchful, or easily startled? (Asked only if a traumatic event was reported.)
- In the past month, have you: Felt numb or detached from people, activities, or your surroundings? (Asked only if a traumatic event was reported.)
- In the past month, have you: Felt guilty or unable to stop blaming yourself or others for the event(s) or any problems the event(s) may have caused? (Asked only if a traumatic event was reported.)
How this is calculated
- Scoring
- Five yes-or-no items about the past month, each scoring 1. Total 0 to 5.
Prins A, Bovin MJ, Smolenski DJ, et al. The Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5): Development and Evaluation Within a Veteran Primary Care Sample. J Gen Intern Med. 2016;31(10):1206-1211. Read the source ↗
A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.