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PTSD Checklist for DSM-5

PCL-5
psychologyhealth sciencesPublic domain

A 20-item self-report measure of the DSM-5 symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder over the past month, across four symptom clusters.

Items
20
Response format
5-point severity scale (0-4)
Version
1.0
Subscales
4

Ready-to-cite methods sentence

PTSD symptoms were measured with the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5; Blevins et al., 2015), a 20-item scale with excellent internal consistency (α ≈ .94); a provisional cutoff of 31-33 suggests probable PTSD.

Citing this in a methods section? This scale spans more than one discipline, so the style depends on where you publish — see the APA 7 or Vancouver guides, or compare all six citation styles.

Reliability & validation

Validation population
Trauma-exposed college students (Blevins et al., 2015)
Test–retest
0.82
Cronbach's α
0.94

Subscales

IntrusionAvoidanceNegative alterations in cognitions and moodAlterations in arousal and reactivity

Response anchors

Not at all · A little bit · Moderately · Quite a bit · Extremely

Known limitations

Public domain (US National Center for PTSD). A symptom-severity and provisional-screening measure, not a diagnosis; cutoffs vary by population and should be paired with a clinical interview.

Original citation

Blevins, C. A., Weathers, F. W., Davis, M. T., Witte, T. K., Domino, J. L. (2015). The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5): Development and initial psychometric evaluation. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 28(6), 489-498.

https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22059

Questions researchers ask

What does the PCL-5 measure?

A 20-item self-report measure of the DSM-5 symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder over the past month, across four symptom clusters.

How many items does the PCL-5 have?

The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) has 20 items across 4 subscales: Intrusion, Avoidance, Negative alterations in cognitions and mood, Alterations in arousal and reactivity.

Is the PCL-5 free to use?

The PCL-5 is in the public domain — free to use, reproduce and adapt without seeking permission. Cite the original source.

Is the PCL-5 reliable?

Validation studies report Cronbach's α of 0.94, test–retest reliability of 0.82. See the reliability section for the population studied and full statistics.

Who developed the PCL-5, and how do I cite it?

Blevins, C. A., Weathers, F. W., Davis, M. T., Witte, T. K., Domino, J. L. (2015). The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5): Development and initial psychometric evaluation. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 28(6), 489-498. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22059

Reference only

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Library entry verified July 2026. Metadata is provided for reference; item wording is available inside Folio Surveyor, subject to each instrument's licensing.