PTSD Checklist (PCL-5) Screening

The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) is the gold-standard self-report measure for screening and monitoring post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. This 20-item questionnaire corresponds directly to the four DSM-5 PTSD symptom clusters: intrusion (items 1-5), avoidance (items 6-7), negative alterations in cognition and mood (items 8-14), and marked alterations in arousal and reactivity (items 15-20). Each item is rated on a 0-4 severity scale (not at all, a little bit, moderately, quite a bit, extremely) based on how much the symptom has bothered the patient in the past month.

The digital form includes fields for the total severity score (range 0-80), with a provisional PTSD diagnosis suggested at a score of 31-33 or higher. In addition to the total score, cluster-level scoring allows clinicians to identify which symptom domains are most prominent, guiding treatment planning. The PCL-5 can be used with or without a specific index trauma identified using the Life Events Checklist (LEC-5) or Criterion A assessment, and this template includes an optional brief trauma identification section.

This template is essential for behavioral health and trauma therapy practices, Veterans Affairs and military health clinics, primary care settings implementing trauma screening, and employee assistance programs supporting first responders. The PCL-5 is developed and maintained by the National Center for PTSD at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and is freely available for clinical use. It serves both as a screening tool and a treatment outcome measure, allowing clinicians to track symptom reduction over the course of therapy.