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PC-PTSD-5

Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5

A very short screen with five yes/no questions that shows whether a stressful experience may still be affecting the patient in a way that is worth looking at more closely.

Category
Trauma & PTSD
Who fills it in
Self-report
Items
5
Recall period
Past month
On this page

Administer the scale

0 of 1 completed

0%

Record the patient's response to every item. Entries stay in your browser and are never sent anywhere.

Some of these questions may bring up difficult memories for the patient. They can stop at any time.

Sometimes things happen to people that are unusually or especially frightening, horrible, or traumatic. For example: • a serious accident or fire • a physical or sexual assault or abuse • an earthquake or flood • a war • seeing someone be killed or seriously injured • having a loved one die through homicide or suicide.

  1. Have you ever experienced this kind of event?

    Have you ever experienced this kind of event?

Question 1 of 1

What it measures

The PC-PTSD-5 screens for probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The five questions cover the core areas of PTSD according to the DSM-5: unwanted memories or nightmares, avoiding reminders, being constantly on guard, feeling numb or detached, and guilt or blame. The score is the number of “yes” answers, from 0 to 5. If no traumatic event is reported, the screen ends with a score of 0.

When to use it

The PC-PTSD-5 is useful as a quick first step when the patient has been through a very stressful experience and it is unclear whether it is still affecting them. Traumatic experiences and substance use are closely linked, for example when alcohol or drugs are used to numb memories or to sleep. If the screen is positive, the PCL-5 gives a more detailed picture of the patient's symptoms, and a conversation with a professional can clarify things further.

Origin

The PC-PTSD-5 was developed by Annabel Prins, Michelle J. Bovin, Rachel Kimerling, Danny G. Kaloupek, Brian P. Marx, Anica Pless Kaiser and Paula P. Schnurr at the US National Center for PTSD and published in 2015. It updates the earlier PC-PTSD, which was based on the DSM-IV, to the PTSD criteria of the DSM-5.

Validation

The PC-PTSD-5 was developed and evaluated in a large sample of primary care patients in the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), where it is now used routinely. In that research, a cutoff of 4 gave the best balance between missed cases and false alarms for the overall sample and for men. Later research in VA primary care found satisfactory accuracy across different demographic and diagnostic groups.

Limitations

The PC-PTSD-5 is a screen, not a diagnosis. Anyone who screens positive needs further assessment, ideally with a structured clinical interview. The questionnaire was developed with US veterans, so its accuracy in other groups is less well studied. For women, a cutoff of 4 missed a relatively high number of cases, so professionals may use a lower cutoff in some settings. There is no validated German version, which is why it is only available in English here.

Frequently asked questions

Is the patient's result a diagnosis?
No. The PC-PTSD-5 only shows whether a closer look is worthwhile. Only a doctor or psychotherapist can diagnose PTSD after a full assessment.
Does the patient have to say what happened?
No. The first question only asks whether the patient has experienced this kind of event at all, not what it was.
Why does the screen end if the patient answers “No” to the first question?
The five questions ask how a traumatic event has affected the patient. If no such event has happened, they do not apply, and the screen ends with a score of 0.
What does a positive screen mean?
The answers are at or above the cutoff of 4, which suggests probable PTSD. The PCL-5 gives a more detailed picture of PTSD symptoms.
What if the questions bring up difficult memories for the patient?
That can happen. The patient can stop at any time. If the patient feels overwhelmed, encourage them to reach out to someone they trust or a crisis line.
Are the patient's answers stored?
No. The patient's answers are processed only in the browser and are not sent or saved anywhere.

References

Licence & attribution

Prins, A., Bovin, M. J., Kimerling, R., Kaloupek, D. G., Marx, B. P., Pless Kaiser, A., & Schnurr, P. P. (2015). Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5). [Measurement instrument]. Available from https://www.ptsd.va.gov

Freely available from the US National Center for PTSD.