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PTSD Screener - DSM-5
Date of MHRP final approval:
Date of SC final approval:
About the Measure
Domain:
PTSD
Measure:
PTSD Screener
Definition:
A questionnaire to screen for the presence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Purpose:
This measure is designed to screen efficiently for the presence of posttraumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) in settings with limited time and resources.
About the Protocol
Description of
Protocol:
Selection
Rationale:
Specific
Instructions:
Protocol Text:
The Primary Care–PTSD Screen (PC-PTSD-5) for The Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) is a self-administered instrument
that includes five yes/no items that capture posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)related experiences in the past month. It is designed to be used in primary care
settings but is not restricted to those settings. It has been used to screen for PTSD in
veterans at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs but is not limited to militaryrelated PTSD. In comparison to the PC-PTSD-IV Screen (PC-PTSD-IV) for The
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), the
DSM-5 version includes an additional symptom question and revised wording about
exposure to a potentially traumatic event to better reflect new DSM criteria. Screening
with PC-PTSD-5 is considered positive if the respondent answers yes to any three
items. Provisional PTSD status based on screening typically requires verification with
a structured interview for PTSD such as the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale
(CAPS; see PTSD Symptoms, Severity and Diagnosis measure in the PhenX Toolkit).
The Primary Care PTSD Screen (PC-PTSD-5) for The Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) is based on the Primary Care
PTSD Screen (PC-PTSD-IV) for The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), which is a brief, widely used, psychometrically
sound screen that has been shown to accurately identify patients who may qualify for
a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis. PC-PTSD-5 provides investigators
with a brief screen for PTSD that aligns with revised PTSD criteria.
This measure includes both the DSM-IV and DSM-5 versions of the Primary CarePTSD Screen. The PhenX PTSD Working Group anticipates that scientific demands
will dictate that researchers typically collect data in accordance with the most recent
PTSD criteria and will use the DSM-5 version of the protocol. However, under special
circumstances (e.g., when adding to older, existing data sets), researchers may
decide to use the DSM-IV version instead.
Summary of the Primary Care PTSD screen for DSM-5
The PC-PTSD for DSM-5 includes an introductory statement about potentially
traumatic events followed by 5 yes/no questions that capture:



Nightmares or unwanted thoughts about the event
Not thinking about or avoiding situations that remind participant of the event
On guard, watchful, or easily startled
Version 10 – 10/21/09
PTSD Screener - DSM-5
Date of MHRP final approval:
Date of SC final approval:


Felt numb or detached
Felt guilty or unable to stop blaming oneself or others for event
Scoring:
The results of the PC-PTSD should be considered "positive" if a patient answers "yes"
to any three items.
Availability:
The PC-PTSD screen for DSM-5 is available from the National Center for PTSD at
www.ptsd.va.gov.
Participant:
Adults, ages 18 and older
Source:
The Primary Care PTSD Screen (PC-PTSD-5) for The Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) is available from the National
Center for PTSD at www.ptsd.va.gov.
English
Language of
Source:
Personnel and
Training Required:
Equipment Needs:
None
None
Protocol Type:
Requirements:
Requirements category
Common Data
Elements:
General
References:
Required (Yes/No)
Major equipment
No
Specialized training
No
Specialized requirements for biospecimen
collection
Average time of greater than 15 minutes in an
unaffected individual
TBD by PhenX Staff
No
No
Kaloupek, D. G., Chard, K. M., Freed, M. C., Peterson, A. L., Riggs, D. S., Stein,
M. B., & Tuma, F. (2010). Common data elements for posttraumatic stress disorder
research. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 91(11), 1684–1191.
Norris, F. H., & Hamblen, J. L. (2004). Standardized self-report measures of civilian
trauma and PTSD. In J. P. Wilson, T. M. Keane, & T. Martin (Eds.). Assessing
psychological trauma and PTSD (pp. 63–102). New York: Guilford Press.
Orsillo, S. M. (2001). Measures for acute stress disorder and posttraumatic stress
disorder. In M. M. Antony & S. M. Orsillo (Eds.). Practitioner's guide to empirically
based measures of anxiety (pp. 255–307). New York: KluwerAcademic/Plenum.
Prins, A., Jenkins-Guarnieri, M., Smolenski, D., Marx, B., Kimerling, R., Kaloupek, D.,
Schnurr, P., Leyva, Y., & Tiet, Q. (2014, November). Revising the PC-PTSD Screen
for DSM-5. Annual Meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies,
Version 10 – 10/21/09
PTSD Screener - DSM-5
Date of MHRP final approval:
Date of SC final approval:
Miami, FL.
Prins, A., Ouimette, P., Kimerling, R., Cameron, R. P., Hugelshofer, D. S., ShawHegwer, J., Thrailkill, A., Gusman, F. D., & Sheikh, J. I. (2003). The primary care
PTSD screen (PC-PTSD): Development and operating characteristics. Primary Care
Psychiatry, 9, 9–14.
Prins, A., Ouimette, P., Kimerling, R., Cameron, R. P., Hugelshofer, D. S., ShawHegwer, J., Thrailkill, A., Gusman, F. D., & Sheikh, J. I. (2004). The primary care
PTSD screen (PC-PTSD): Corrigendum. Primary Care Psychiatry, 9, 151.
Additional Information About the Measure
Essential Data:
Related PhenX
Measures:
Derived Variables:
Current Age, Gender
Life Events, Exposure to Violence, Childhood Maltreatment, Perceived Stress,
PTSD Symptoms, Severity and Diagnosis
None
Keywords/Related
Concepts:
Trauma, Potentially traumatic event, Stress, Stressor, Posttraumatic Stress
Disorder, PTSD
Version 10 – 10/21/09