The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5) is a self-report instrument for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) based on the DSM-5 diagnosis criteria. It’s a 20-item self-report measure that assesses the presence and severity of PTSD symptoms, the questions on the PCL-5 correspond with DSM-5 criteria for PTSD. The PCL-5 has a variety of purposes, including: quantifying and monitoring symptoms over time, screening individuals for PTSD, and assisting in making a provisional diagnosis of PTSD.

The PCL-5 is a self-report instrument and can be completed in approximately 5-10 minutes. It was developed by staff at VA's National Center for PTSD and is not copyrighted. The PCL-5 should not be used as a stand-alone diagnostic tool. When considering a diagnosis, the clinician will still need to use clinical interviewing skills, and a recommended structured interview (e.g., Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5, CAPS-5) to determine a diagnosis.
Summing all 20 items (range 0-80) and using a cut-point score of 31-33 appears to be reasonable based upon current psychometric work, which is limited, which suggestive a positive screening for PTSD. The evidence for the PCL-5 suggests that a 5 points as a minimum threshold for determining whether an individual has responded to treatment and 10 points as a minimum threshold for determining whether the improvement is clinically meaningful.

References

Blevins CA, Weathers FW, Davis MT, Witte TK, Domino JL. The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5): Development and Initial Psychometric Evaluation. J Trauma Stress. 2015;28(6):489-98.

Bovin MJ, Marx BP, Weathers FW, et al. Psychometric properties of the PTSD Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition (PCL-5) in veterans. Psychol Assess. 2016;28(11):1379-1391.

Wortmann JH, Jordan AH, Weathers FW, et al. Psychometric analysis of the PTSD Checklist-5 (PCL-5) among treatment-seeking military service members. Psychol Assess. 2016;28(11):1392-1403.