Adult Trauma Assessments
Assessment materials and other resources for clinicians and researchers focused on adult trauma-related assessment.
If you are interested in submitting an adult assessment for review, please complete the ISTSS Assessment Submission Form. Please send the completed form to Rachel Liebman, Ph.D. and Carrie Yeager, Ph.D.
Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen
The Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen (CATS) questionnaire is a brief, freely accessible screening instrument based on the DSM-5 criteria for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It is a measure of potentially traumatic events and of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS).
Clinician Administered PTSD Scale
The Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5) is based on the DSM-5 and is the gold standard in PTSD assessment. It can be administered by clinicians and clinical researchers (or appropriately trained paraprofessionals) who have a working knowledge of PTSD.
Global Psychotrauma Screen
The Global Psychotrauma Screen (GPS) is a brief instrument meant to screen for a range of trauma-related psychological problems, as well as for risk and protective factors. It was developed by an international group of experts representing traumatic stress societies worldwide and is available in more than 25 languages.
Moral Injury Outcome Scale
The MIOS is a self-report questionnaire that assesses psychosocial outcomes from exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs). The MIOS can be used in research and clinical settings as part of a mental health assessment to identify exposure to an index potentially morally injurious experience and to assess the presence and severity of potential moral injury outcomes. Similarly, it can be used to track change in MI symptoms in treatment.
Posttraumatic Expectations Scale
The Posttraumatic Expectations Scale (PTES) is an 81-item self-report measure that assesses dysfunctional expectations in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It can be used to assess both disorder-specific expectations and treatment expectations in clinical samples of adult patients with PTSD.
The full scale takes 10-15 minutes to administer. A shortened 13-item brief screening version of the PTSD may significant reduce the administration time and burden for patients and clinicians.
Posttrauma Risky Behaviors Questionnaire
The Posttrauma Risky Behaviors Questionnaire (PRBQ) is a self-report measure assessing PTSD’s E2 Criterion, or the extent of engaging in posttrauma reckless and self-destructive behaviors (RSDBs). There is no specific training needed for its administration.
Posttraumatic Symptom Scale-Interview Version for DSM-5
The Posttraumatic Symptom Scale-Interview Version for DSM-5 (PSS-I-5) is a widely utilized PTSD measure administered by an interviewer. It is a semi-structured interview providing a categorical diagnosis, as well as a measure of the severity of PTSD symptoms as defined by DSM-5. It can be administered by any trained person and takes 15-25 minutes.
Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5
The Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5) is a five-item screen that was designed for use in primary care settings to identify respondents with probable PTSD. Those screening positive require further assessment, preferably with a structured interview such as the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5).
PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)
The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) is a 20-item self-report measure that assesses the 20 DSM-5 symptoms of PTSD. It has a variety of purposes such as monitoring symptom change during and after treatment, screening individuals for PTSD, and making a provisional PTSD diagnosis.
Structured Trauma-Related Experiences & Symptoms Screener
The Structured Trauma-Related Experiences & Symptoms Screener (STRESS) for adults is a 10- to 15-minute self-report instrument designed to assess (1) lifetime exposure to several domains of potentially traumatic and other adverse experiences and age of occurrence (52 items), (2) PTSD symptoms that map onto symptom criteria defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders 5th Edition (DSM-5) and applicable to one or more traumatic events (25 items), and functional impairment (6 items).
Trauma-Related Cognitions Scale
The Trauma-related Cognitions and Beliefs scale (TRCS) is a self-administered assessment for clinical and non-clinical individuals, 18 years of age and older. It provides a measure of trauma-related beliefs associated with the following cognitive processes: overaccommodation, assimilation, accommodation, and optimism.