Free PTSD Test (TSQ)

A short screening questionnaire for post-traumatic stress. 10 Yes/No questions about the past week, with an instant result.

You do not need to describe what happened. You can stop at any time.

Start the test now

Trauma Screening Questionnaire (TSQ)

The Trauma Screening Questionnaire (TSQ, Brewin et al. 2002) is a 10-item Yes/No screening questionnaire for post-traumatic stress disorder. Five items cover re-experiencing the event and five cover arousal, derived from the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. A reaction counts if it happened at least twice in the past week. Answering Yes to 6 or more items, in any combination, is a positive screen. It is a screening tool, not a diagnosis.

  • 10 Yes/No questions about the past week
  • Takes about 2 minutes
  • No need to describe the event
  • Positive screen at 6 or more Yes answers
  • Validated with rail crash survivors and crime victims
  • Best taken about 3-4 weeks after the event
Brewin, C. R., Rose, S., Andrews, B., Green, J., Tata, P., McEvedy, C., Turner, S., & Foa, E. B. (2002). Brief screening instrument for post-traumatic stress disorder. British Journal of Psychiatry, 181(2), 158-162.

What is post-traumatic stress?

After a frightening or distressing event, it is common to have strong reactions for a while: memories that intrude, trouble sleeping, feeling on edge. For many people these ease over the following weeks.

When reactions like these continue and get in the way of daily life, they may be a sign of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The TSQ is a short way to check whether an assessment with a specialist would be worthwhile.

Time

About 2 minutes

Questions

10, Yes or No

Score

0-10, threshold at 6

Validation

Brewin et al., 2002

Important: This test does not provide a diagnosis. Only a qualified professional can diagnose PTSD, after a proper assessment.

Signs it may be worth taking the test

Memories you did not choose

Upsetting thoughts, images or dreams about the event keep coming back

Strong reactions to reminders

Your body or mood reacts sharply when something brings it back

Always on alert

You feel jumpy, watchful for danger or quick to anger

Sleep and focus have slipped

Falling or staying asleep, or concentrating, has become harder since the event

What the TSQ asks about

The 10 questions fall into two groups. Your result shows a sub-score for each, as well as the total.

Questions 1-5

Re-experiencing the event

Unwanted, upsetting memories or dreams about the event, acting or feeling as though it were happening again, and distress or bodily reactions (such as a fast heartbeat or a churning stomach) when something reminds you of it.

Questions 6-10

Feeling on edge (arousal)

Difficulty falling or staying asleep, irritability or outbursts of anger, difficulty concentrating, heightened awareness of potential dangers, and being jumpy or easily startled.

When to take it

The authors of the TSQ recommend screening about 3 to 4 weeks after the event. Strong reactions in the first weeks are common and often fade by themselves, and waiting allows for that natural recovery.

If the event was more recent, you can still take the test now and repeat it later. And if it is hard to cope right now, you do not need to wait to ask for help.

Ready to check in on how you have been?

10 Yes/No questions, about 2 minutes, instant result. No need to describe what happened.

Start the PTSD test

Sample questions from the TSQ

For each reaction, you answer Yes if it happened at least twice in the past week.

Re-experiencing

Upsetting thoughts or memories about the event that have come into your mind against your will

Re-experiencing

Feeling upset by reminders of the event

Arousal

Difficulty falling or staying asleep

Arousal

Being jumpy or being startled at something unexpected

About the TSQ

The Trauma Screening Questionnaire was published by C. R. Brewin and colleagues in the British Journal of Psychiatry in 2002. Its 10 items are derived from the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD: 5 describe re-experiencing the event and 5 describe arousal.

The questionnaire was validated in two groups. With rail crash survivors (41 people), the threshold of 6 or more Yes answers had a sensitivity of 0.86 and a specificity of 0.93. With crime victims (157 people), the sensitivity was 0.76 and the specificity 0.93.

The authors recommend screening about 3 to 4 weeks after the event, to allow for natural recovery. The TSQ is a screening tool: it shows whether an assessment is worthwhile, and it does not diagnose PTSD.

Source: Brewin, C. R., Rose, S., Andrews, B., Green, J., Tata, P., McEvedy, C., Turner, S., & Foa, E. B. (2002). Brief screening instrument for post-traumatic stress disorder. British Journal of Psychiatry, 181(2), 158-162.

Frequently asked questions

What is PTSD?+
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that can follow a frightening or distressing event. The reactions the TSQ asks about fall into two groups: re-experiencing the event (unwanted memories, upsetting dreams, feeling as if it is happening again) and feeling on edge (poor sleep, irritability, difficulty concentrating, being jumpy). Only a qualified professional can diagnose PTSD.
What is the Trauma Screening Questionnaire (TSQ)?+
The TSQ is a 10-item screening questionnaire for post-traumatic stress, published by Brewin and colleagues in the British Journal of Psychiatry in 2002. Five items cover re-experiencing and five cover arousal, derived from the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. You answer Yes or No for each reaction, depending on whether you have had it at least twice in the past week.
How long does the PTSD test take?+
About 2 minutes. There is one short question about when the event happened, which does not count towards the score, followed by 10 Yes/No questions.
Do I need to describe what happened?+
No. None of the questions asks about the event itself. You are only asked how you have been in the past week. You can stop at any time.
What does a score of 6 or more mean?+
The TSQ score is the number of reactions you answered Yes to, from 0 to 10. Answering Yes to 6 or more, in any combination, is the published threshold for a positive screen. It means that an assessment with a specialist is worthwhile. In the original study, this threshold had a sensitivity of 0.86 and a specificity of 0.93 in a group of 41 rail crash survivors, and 0.76 and 0.93 in a group of 157 crime victims.
Does the test give a diagnosis?+
No. The TSQ is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. A positive screen is a signal to talk to a professional, who can do a proper assessment. A score below the threshold does not mean your reactions are unimportant.
When is the best time to take the test?+
The authors recommend screening about 3 to 4 weeks after the event. Strong reactions in the first weeks are common and often fade by themselves, so an earlier result may change. If you took it sooner, you can take it again later. If it is hard to cope now, you do not need to wait to ask for help.
Can I take it about an event from many years ago?+
Yes. The questions ask about the past week, not about when the event happened. If you are having these reactions now, the result is relevant however long ago the event was.
What is the difference between trauma and PTSD?+
Trauma describes a frightening or distressing experience and its impact on you. Many people have strong reactions afterwards that ease with time. PTSD describes reactions that continue and get in the way of life, and it is assessed by a professional. The TSQ helps you see whether an assessment is worth having.
What if the trauma was repeated or is still happening?+
The TSQ's instructions refer to a single traumatic event, but you can still take it. At the start you can tell us that it was not a single event, and your result will take that into account. When something is repeated or ongoing, your safety comes first. If you are in danger, call 999. A therapist who specialises in trauma, including complex trauma, can help.
Which therapies help with PTSD?+
Trauma-focused therapies, such as trauma-focused CBT and EMDR, are designed for reactions like these. A good trauma therapist works at a pace that feels safe and does not push you to describe more than you are ready to. On MatchyMatch you can find UK therapists registered with HCPC, BACP, BPS or UKCP who work with trauma.
Is the test free? Do I need an account?+
The test is free and you do not need an account. After the questions you can add an email to save your result, or skip that step and see your result straight away.

Read more about trauma therapy

Therapy for trauma and PTSD

How trauma therapy works and how to find a therapist who fits.

EMDR therapy

What EMDR is, and what a session looks like.

How can a therapist help?

A therapist trained in trauma can help you understand your reactions and work through them at a pace that feels safe. On MatchyMatch you can find HCPC / BACP / BPS / UKCP registered therapists who work with trauma, and book a free 15-minute discovery call first.

Find a therapist

Studying psychology or training as a therapist?

If you came here looking up the TSQ rather than taking the test, you are probably a student, a trainee or a researcher. We work with qualified therapists in the UK, and we would rather help you get there than wait until you have already chosen where to build your practice.

The route from student to seeing your first clients