3015 N Ocean Blvd, Ste C101, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308
Office hours: Mon–Sat, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
Crisis: 988 | Emergency: 911
Written by the One Stop Psychiatry editorial team, led by Muhammad Kashif Nawaz, PMHNP-BC, under the guidance of Dr. Andrew Rucker, DO, Psychiatrist · Updated . Educational information; not a diagnosis or a substitute for an individual evaluation.
PC-PTSD-5 · ADULT SCREENING
A free screener for adults 18 and older. An opening question is followed, when applicable, by five questions about the past month. You will not be asked to describe what happened.
Please confirm you are 18 or older.
Sometimes things happen to people that are unusually or especially frightening, horrible, or traumatic. For example:
If no, screen total = 0. Please stop here. If yes, please answer the questions below.
Choose Yes or No, or use “Stop without a result.”
In the past month, have you...
YOUR PC-PTSD-5 SCREENING RESULT
This result cannot diagnose or rule out PTSD, assess your safety, or replace an evaluation. A clinician can review your history, symptoms, and their impact on your life.
The five Yes responses are counted, for a score from 0 to 5. A No to the opening trauma question ends the screen with a score of 0. We use 4 as a reference threshold for recommending further PTSD assessment, based on VA primary care research. It is not a severity scale or a universal diagnostic cutoff.
Performance varies across populations. VA research found that a threshold of 4 missed more women with PTSD; a lower threshold may be appropriate in some settings. Results below 4 can still warrant evaluation. Our guidance encourages a conversation at any score, especially if symptoms trouble you.
No result was calculated, and your answers have been cleared. You can request support without finishing this screener or describing what happened online.
If you are in immediate danger or cannot stay safe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. In the U.S., call 988, text 988, or use 988 chat. Outside the U.S., use local emergency or crisis services.
This page is not monitored and does not alert our team. Do not wait for an appointment callback if you need immediate help.
Answers and scores remain in this page’s memory, are not saved in browser storage, and are not sent to WordPress, GoHighLevel or our care team. Clearing, reloading or leaving removes them. The separate appointment form has its own data handling.
The Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 is a brief screening tool developed by the VA National Center for PTSD. It starts with a question about lifetime exposure to traumatic events. A Yes leads to five Yes/No questions about the past month.
A No ends the screen with a total of zero. That result is not proof that you have no trauma-related concerns or do not need support.
Yes. You can use Stop without a result if you are unsure, uncomfortable or do not want to continue. It clears your answers without calculating a result. You do not need to describe an event or finish the screen to request care.
Allow about two minutes, with no time limit. Back and Show all questions let you review the symptom questions. No name, email or phone number is needed to see your result.
The five symptom answers produce a count from 0 to 5. This page retains a reference threshold of 4 for recommending further assessment, based on VA primary care research. It is not a diagnosis, a severity rating or a universal cutoff.
Thresholds can differ by population and purpose. VA research found that 4 missed more women with PTSD; a lower threshold may be appropriate in some settings. Seek support at any score if symptoms concern you.
No. A screen identifies concerns for follow-up. An evaluation may include a clinical interview or a longer questionnaire, along with discussion of your history and how symptoms affect your life. This five-question tool is not the longer PTSD Checklist (PCL-5).
A result cannot diagnose or rule out PTSD or determine whether you are safe. Use the support options above for urgent concerns rather than waiting for a routine appointment callback.
You can start with what is affecting daily life, what support you are looking for, and any questions about the evaluation. You can tell the clinician if discussing an experience feels difficult and ask how the conversation will proceed.
Bring a medication list and relevant treatment history if you have them. You do not need to enter those details on this screening page.
Yes. You can request an evaluation at any score, after stopping, or without taking this screener. The request form opens in a new tab, and your answers and score are not shared with it.
Our team can discuss evaluation and next steps. An appointment request is for routine care, not a confirmed booking or emergency response.
Source: VA National Center for PTSD: PC-PTSD-5 and interpretation. Instrument attribution is provided below.
Prins, A., Bovin, M. J., Kimerling, R., Kaloupek, D. G., Marx, B. P., Pless Kaiser, A., & Schnurr, P. P. (2015). The Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5).
The VA National Center for PTSD identifies this instrument as public domain and not copyrighted, intended for qualified health professionals and researchers. Original English question wording is retained here. This online presentation does not imply VA endorsement.
Official instrument, scoring guidance, and research references
A screening result is different from an evaluation. Read about meeting with a psychiatric provider. You do not need to describe a traumatic event on this website.
Compare all mental health screeners and guides by topic and purpose. You do not need to complete several tools before asking for help.
Moving to another page clears this page’s answers or selections. They are not included in these links or sent to the appointment form.
These educational pages are written by the One Stop Psychiatry editorial team, led by Muhammad Kashif Nawaz, PMHNP-BC, which works under the guidance of Dr. Andrew Rucker, DO, Psychiatrist. Instrument sources and educational references are linked on each tool page. Screening cannot provide a diagnosis, determine safety or replace an individual evaluation.
The mood changes guide is original educational content, not a validated bipolar screening instrument. Contact the practice if you notice information that needs correction.
Answers, scores and mood-guide selections stay in this page’s memory; they are not sent to WordPress, our team or GoHighLevel and are not saved in browser storage. We count starts, finishes and subsequent appointment-request steps using a temporary random marker. No answers or scores are included. Ordinary hosting access logs are separate. The appointment form has its own data handling.