PTSD (PCL-5)

The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5, Weathers et al., US National Center for PTSD) is the world's most used post-traumatic stress scale: it assesses 20 PTSD symptoms over the past month across the four DSM-5 clusters (re-experiencing, avoidance, negative changes in cognition and mood, hyperarousal). It's a screening, not a diagnosis: it helps to see the traumatic pattern that often masquerades as anxiety, depression, or insomnia and that, without a direct question, goes unnoticed.

Before you start

This is a screening of PTSD symptoms over the past month, not a diagnosis. It makes sense to fill it out if you experienced a traumatic situation (actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence). A high score is a reason to see a specialist for a clinical assessment, not a self-diagnosis; a low one in the presence of trauma is not "everything's fine" but a signal to discuss it with a psychologist.