Free PTSD quiz · For adults · PC-PTSD-5
Free adult PTSD quiz.
Five quick questions, about two minutes. This is the PC-PTSD-5, a brief trauma screener developed for health care settings. It will not diagnose you, but it can help you see whether a past event is still affecting you more than you realized.
Your answers never leave your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
Before you begin
This one asks about a difficult event.
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, or having a loved one die through homicide or suicide.
If you have experienced this kind of event, the questions below ask how it may still be affecting you over the past month. Go at your own pace, and stop if you need to. Support is always available: you can call or text 988 any time.
The Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5) was developed by the National Center for PTSD, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It is in the public domain and reproduced here for educational screening use.
Trauma does not have to stay stuck
Trauma therapy and EMDR in North County.
Trauma has a way of living in the body and the present, long after the event is over. Our doctoral-level clinicians help you work through it at a pace that feels safe, using approaches like EMDR and relational therapy. In Carlsbad, Encinitas, Vista, or online across California. It starts with a free 15-minute consultation.
Questions
About the PTSD quiz.
01 Is this an official PTSD diagnosis?
No. The PC-PTSD-5 is a brief screening tool, not a diagnosis. It flags whether post-traumatic stress is worth a closer look. Only a clinical evaluation can tell you whether you have PTSD.
02 How accurate is the PC-PTSD-5?
It was developed by the National Center for PTSD and is one of the most widely used brief trauma screens in health care. It is good at flagging who should be evaluated further. Because it is only five questions, it is a starting point rather than the final word.
03 What score suggests PTSD?
Answering yes to three or more of the five questions is treated as a positive screen in the original validation study, at which point a full evaluation is recommended. Some clinicians use a higher bar of four for greater certainty. Either way, the screen points toward a conversation, not a conclusion.
04 What if a traumatic memory feels overwhelming right now?
Please be gentle with yourself, and reach out for support. You can call or text 988 any time to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which also helps with emotional distress, not only thoughts of self-harm. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
05 What happens after a positive screen?
A full trauma evaluation looks at your history and how symptoms show up now, and helps you understand what would actually help. Our clinicians work with trauma using approaches like EMDR and relational therapy. You can start with a free 15-minute consultation.
Ready when you are
You can feel safe again.
Starting is a small step: a short, no-pressure conversation to see if we are a good fit. We would be glad to hear from you.