Assessment

Information on measures is available to everyone. However, the measures themselves can only be distributed to qualified mental health professionals and researchers. We maintain measures developed by affiliated staff of the National Center for PTSD.

Use the Assessment Request Form to request National Center for PTSD-authored measures. Other measures can be obtained by contacting listed sources or see Using PILOTS for Assessment Information.

Assessment Basics

• FAQs About PTSD Assessment: For Professionals
  Provides professionals with answers to frequently asked questions about assessment.
• PTSD Assessment and Treatment in Older Adults
  Discusses assessment strategies and treatment interventions for older adults based upon patient age and the broader context of aging processes.
• Practical Assessment of PTSD
  This PTSD 101 online course describes the purpose and importance of screening for PTSD and symptom change, including a review of the best tools for diagnosing PTSD.
• Comprehensive Assessment of PTSD
  This PTSD 101 online course outlines quality PTSD assessment and report basics, from multimethod and dimensional assessment to evaluation of comorbidities, quality of life, and personality functioning.
• DSM Criteria for PTSD
  Information about the current DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for PTSD.
• PTSD Screening and Referral: For Health Care Providers
  Discusses the importance of screening for traumatic stress symptoms, with specific steps for screening and referral.
• Functional Impairment and PTSD
  This PTSD 101 online course reviews the VA/DoD 2010 clinical practice guideline recommendations for assessing PTSD-related functional impairment.

Training and Tools

• CAPS Training Information
  Information on how to administer a CAPS.
• Using the PTSD Checklist (PCL) (PDF)
  Information about this assessment instrument.
• Comparison of the ICD-10 PTSD Diagnosis With the DSM-IV Criteria
  Comparison of different diagnostic criteria for PTSD.
• Using PILOTS for Assessment Information
  Explains how to search for instruments used in published materials or for articles specific to assessment tools.

Veteran-Specific Information

• Military Culture
  This PTSD 101 presents important information on military culture. Also discusses programs and interventions to help prevent combat stress with implications for assessment and treatment.
• The Returning Veteran of the Iraq War: Background Issues and Assessment Guidelines
  From the Iraq War Clinician Guide. Contains clinical information on types of stressors Veterans of the Iraq War will have encountered. Discusses comprehensive assessment for symptoms and functional impairment.
• Military Sexual Trauma: Issues in Caring for Veterans
  From the Iraq War Clinician Guide. Contains clinical information on types of stressors Veterans of the Iraq War will have encountered. Discusses comprehensive assessment for symptoms and functional impairment.

General Concerns

• Working with Trauma Survivors: What Workers Need to Know
  Information regarding traumatic stress, for the people who are working with trauma survivors.
• Overcoming Barriers
  This PTSD 101 online course reviews strategies for improving PTSD patients' motivation to engage in treatment.
• Forensic Validity of a PTSD Diagnosis
  Discusses the four elements of a PTSD diagnosis that must be met to establish a legitimate case of PTSD.

Video Highlights

• Hope for Recovery
  An educational video about PTSD for veterans and their family members as well as for caregivers.
• Readiness to Change in PTSD Treatment
  This video reviews the treatment of combat-related PTSD in relation to the concept of "readiness to change".