Praxical.Psych
Trauma

PTSD Checklist for DSM-5

Measure PTSD symptom severity against the twenty DSM-5 criteria, and monitor change in treatment.

PCL-5Completable here

Complete it

In the past month, how much were you bothered by the following, in relation to a specific stressful experience?

1

Repeated, disturbing, and unwanted memories of the stressful experience

B — Intrusion

2

Repeated, disturbing dreams of the stressful experience

B — Intrusion

3

Suddenly feeling or acting as if the stressful experience were actually happening again

B — Intrusion

4

Feeling very upset when something reminded you of the stressful experience

B — Intrusion

5

Having strong physical reactions when something reminded you of the stressful experience

B — Intrusion

6

Avoiding memories, thoughts, or feelings related to the stressful experience

C — Avoidance

7

Avoiding external reminders of the stressful experience

C — Avoidance

8

Trouble remembering important parts of the stressful experience

D — Cognition & mood

9

Having strong negative beliefs about yourself, other people, or the world

D — Cognition & mood

10

Blaming yourself or someone else for the stressful experience or what happened after it

D — Cognition & mood

11

Having strong negative feelings such as fear, horror, anger, guilt, or shame

D — Cognition & mood

12

Loss of interest in activities that you used to enjoy

D — Cognition & mood

13

Feeling distant or cut off from other people

D — Cognition & mood

14

Trouble experiencing positive feelings

D — Cognition & mood

15

Irritable behaviour, angry outbursts, or acting aggressively

E — Arousal & reactivity

16

Taking too many risks or doing things that could cause you harm

E — Arousal & reactivity

17

Being superalert or watchful or on guard

E — Arousal & reactivity

18

Feeling jumpy or easily startled

E — Arousal & reactivity

19

Having difficulty concentrating

E — Arousal & reactivity

20

Trouble falling or staying asleep

E — Arousal & reactivity

Total
0/ 80(0 of 20 answered)
Below the usual provisional threshold

Psychometrics

Internal consistency is high (α ≈ 0.94) with good convergent and discriminant validity. A provisional cut-point of 31–33 is commonly used, though the optimal threshold varies by population and by base rate.

Subscale scores map onto DSM-5 criteria B (intrusion), C (avoidance), D (negative alterations in cognition and mood) and E (alterations in arousal and reactivity), which makes it useful for tracking which cluster is responding.

Cautions and misuse

Administering a symptom checklist is not the same as taking a trauma history, and it should not be the first thing that happens. Establish stabilisation and alliance first; a detailed inventory of symptoms in session one can itself be activating.

Sources

  • Blevins, C. A., Weathers, F. W., Davis, M. T., Witte, T. K., & Domino, J. L. (2015). The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5): Development and initial psychometric evaluation. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 28(6), 489–498

    measure
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Before you begin

What Praxical.Psych is, and is not

Praxical.Psych is an educational tool. It teaches the theory, evidence base and clinical method of psychotherapy at the level of an advanced survey course, and it lets you rehearse a complete session in a simulator.

It is not medical, clinical, psychological or legal advice. It cannot diagnose or treat anyone, and it does not state the law where you practise — requirements differ by jurisdiction and change. Nothing here creates a clinician–patient or solicitor–client relationship.

  • Every patient, transcript and case in this app is fictional — a composite written for teaching. None depicts a real person.
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If you are in crisis

In the US and Canada, call or text 988. In the UK and Ireland, call 116 123 (Samaritans). Elsewhere, find a local line at findahelpline.com. In immediate danger, use your local emergency number.

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