Twenty questions.
One precise picture.
PCL-5 maps all 20 DSM-5 PTSD symptoms. Self-report. Clinically validated.
The result is a starting point — not a verdict.
A checklist that maps
the shape of a response —
not the weight of a story.
PCL-5 measures 20 specific symptoms across four DSM-5 clusters. It doesn't ask how you feel about what happened — it asks how your nervous system has been responding to it over the past month.
Two scoring methods run simultaneously: a total severity score, and a DSM-5 cluster analysis that shows which diagnostic criteria are active. Both matter. Together, they produce a clinical picture — not a label.
“The question isn't what happened to you. It's what your nervous system decided to do with it — and whether that decision is still serving you.”
Bring one specific event to mind.
All 20 questions refer to a single stressful experience — the one you think about most or that troubles you most right now. You can note it briefly below. This is for your reference only and stays in your browser.