About the PC-PTSD-5

The Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 comes from the U.S. National Center for PTSD. A single gate question asks whether you have ever experienced a traumatic event; five yes/no questions then ask about the past month. It is public domain and designed to be quick enough for a waiting room.

What does a positive PC-PTSD-5 screen mean?

Three or more “yes” answers is the usual cutoff and means a fuller assessment is worth having. It does not mean you have PTSD, and it says nothing about what happened to you.

Do I have to describe the event?

No. The screen only asks whether you have ever experienced such an event and how you have been in the past month.

Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5, National Center for PTSD, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Public domain. Page reviewed by Michael RoBards, LCSW, September 2026.