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Tags: Psychology , Psychometrics
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Post traumatic stress symptoms are common reactions to a stressful or traumatic experience that may include unwanted memories, distress when reminded, avoidance, and heightened alertness. A concise five item screen turns these experiences into a clear result so you can judge a post traumatic stress risk score and understand what the banded outcome means for next steps.

Answer each question yes or no about the last month and then review the score. The result summarizes your total from 0 to 5, explains the band in plain language, and offers gentle pointers you can act on.

As a simple example, if three answers are yes the score is 3 and that suggests elevated risk. If two or fewer are yes the result indicates lower risk, and you can keep an eye on how you feel over time.

A screen is not a diagnosis, and it cannot tell the full story. Use the result to guide a conversation with a qualified professional when concerns affect safety, work, or relationships. This tool provides informational estimates and does not substitute professional advice.

Technical Details:

The assessment observes five dichotomous items related to post‑traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Items reflect four symptom clusters: intrusion (two items), reactivity, avoidance, and arousal, scoped to the last month.

Each answer is coded as No = 0 and Yes = 1. The total score S is the sum of the five item codes, producing an integer from 0 to 5 that represents symptom burden on this screen.

Results use two bands: scores 0–2 indicate Low Risk, and scores ≥ 3 indicate High Risk. Values close to the boundary warrant attention to context and change over time.

Comparisons are most meaningful within the same person across repeated uses. Scores are not a diagnosis and should be interpreted with clinical judgment and lived context.

S = ∑ i=1 5 xi
C= { High Risk   if S≥3 Low Risk   if S<3
Symbol Meaning Unit/Datatype Source
S Total score across five items integer 0–5 Derived
x1 … x5 Item codes for Yes/No responses 0 or 1 Input
Worked example. Let x1..5 = [1, 1, 0, 1, 0]. Then
S=1+1+0+1+0=3
S = 3 maps to High Risk; consider a professional evaluation, especially if safety, work, or relationships are affected.
Threshold Band Lower Bound Upper Bound Interpretation Action Cue
Low Risk 0 2 Lower symptom burden on this screen Monitor and recheck if concerns persist
High Risk 3 5 Elevated symptom burden likely Discuss with a qualified professional

Validation & bounds extracted from code

Field Type Min Max Step/Pattern Error Text Placeholder
Answers Dichotomous (No/Yes) 0 1 Binary choice per item — —
r (URL parameter) Five‑char code length 5 length 5 ^[01\-]{5}$ Invalid pattern ignored -----

I/O formats & encoding

Input Accepted Families Output Encoding/Precision Rounding
Five Yes/No responses UI radio choices; URL code r Score 0–5; band; item list r encodes answers with "-" for blanks Not applicable

Networking & storage behavior

  • Processing is browser‑based; no data is transmitted or stored server‑side.
  • Answers can be encoded in the URL parameter r to restore a session.

Performance & determinism

  • Time complexity is constant for five items; interactions are instantaneous on typical devices.
  • Identical inputs always produce identical outputs.

Security considerations

  • Input is restricted to 0/1 choices and a tightly validated URL code.
  • No secrets, tokens, or external credentials are used.

Assumptions & limitations

  • Heads‑up Screen reflects the last month, not lifetime symptoms.
  • Heads‑up Two‑band result cannot grade symptom severity within bands.
  • Item order and wording are fixed and cannot be customized.
  • Results are most useful for within‑person monitoring over time.
  • Environmental, cultural, and situational factors are not captured.
  • No clinician rating or collateral information is incorporated.
  • Partial responses produce incomplete subscores until all items are answered.
  • URL sharing may expose answers if you include an encoded r value.

Edge cases & error sources

  • Accidental clicks produce transient 0/1 flips; review before finalizing.
  • Ambiguous memories may make Yes/No difficult; choose the most typical experience.
  • Using a different time window changes interpretability.
  • Encoded r values not matching the pattern are ignored.
  • Blank items in r decode as unanswered and do not count.
  • Browser back/forward may revisit items out of sequence; score remains deterministic.
  • Disabling scripts prevents scoring and visualization.
  • Copying r between users confounds comparisons.
  • Near‑threshold scores can fluctuate with small context changes.
  • Device text zoom may wrap long item labels; content remains intact.

How‑to Guide:

Post‑traumatic stress symptoms are screened to produce a 0–5 total and a risk band.

  1. Start and read each item carefully for the last month.
  2. Select Yes or No for all five items.
  3. Review the total score and banded interpretation.
  4. Read the highlights and suggested next steps.
  5. Save or share the result only if you choose to encode the URL.

Example. Answers Yes, Yes, No, Yes, No → total 3 → High Risk; consider a professional evaluation.

  • Answer consistently using the same recent month when comparing over time.

FAQ:

Is my data stored?

No. Processing happens on your device. Nothing is sent to a server unless you explicitly share a URL that contains your encoded answers.

For privacy, avoid sharing the encoded link if it includes sensitive responses.
What does a borderline result mean?

Scores near 3 are close to the cut score. Recheck on another day and consider context such as sleep, stress, and recent reminders.

What time frame do items cover?

The last month. Answer based on how you typically felt and responded during that period.

Does this diagnose PTSD?

No. It is a screen that flags potential risk. Only a qualified professional can provide a diagnosis after a full evaluation.

Can I change answers later?

Yes. Adjust any item and the score updates immediately. Recheck the band and notes after every change.

How accurate is the score?

It reflects these five items only. Accuracy depends on honest recall over the last month and consistent interpretation of each question.

Can I share results?

You may copy a link that encodes answers. Share only with people you trust, as recipients can see your selections.

What does the chart show?

A compact gauge highlights the 0–5 total. Sub‑bars summarize intrusion, avoidance, reactivity, and arousal contributions.

Troubleshooting:

  • Nothing happens after answering: make sure all five items are completed.
  • Gauge not visible: enable scripts and reload the page.
  • Strange link codes: only digits 0/1 and "-" are valid in r.
  • Accidental click: select the intended option; the score updates instantly.
  • Content seems narrow: rotate your device or widen the window.
  • Old result showing: clear the encoded r in the URL and reload.

Advanced Tips:

Use the same recent month window each time to compare results fairly.

Note which items drove the score; target coping strategies accordingly.

Record a short reflection after screening to capture context you might forget later.

Revisit on a calm day to reduce noise from acute stressors.

If you encode the URL, remove it before screenshots to avoid sharing answers.

Discuss persistent concerns with a professional; bring your item list to the conversation.

Glossary:

PC‑PTSD‑5
A five‑item screen that sums Yes/No responses to flag PTSD risk.
Intrusion
Unwanted memories or dreams that return to mind.
Avoidance
Efforts to steer clear of reminders, thoughts, or situations.
Reactivity
Strong distress or physical response when reminded.
Arousal
Being on guard, watchful, or easily startled.
Cut score
A threshold that separates Low from High Risk.
Dichotomous item
A question with two choices only, coded 0 or 1.
Band
A labeled range of scores used for interpretation.