Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD (M-PTSD) Test
How the Scales are Structured
Who Usually Takes This Test?
See How You Compare
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.
Example Questions From the Test
- Completely false
- Sometimes true
- Somewhat true
- True
- Completely true
- Completely false
- Sometimes true
- Somewhat true
- True
- Completely true
- Completely false
- Sometimes true
- Somewhat true
- True
- Completely true
Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD (M-PTSD) Test - Description and methodology of the test
People who want to examine how trauma-related reactions affect mood, sleep, relationships, and daily functioning can use the Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD (M-PTSD) Test as a structured self-report exercise. It is intended to assess symptom severity after trauma, giving the respondent a structured view of related reactions. This combat-related PTSD test organizes these experiences into an interpretable severity profile.
What This Assessment Explores
It examines posttraumatic stress severity after trauma. Themes include distress after reminders, re-experiencing in thoughts or dreams, startle, vigilance, sleep problems, emotional numbing, guilt, irritability, social distance, and difficulty with work or closeness. Items about hopelessness and substance use add emotional and coping context to the severity profile.
As a PTSD symptom severity test, it is most useful when answers reflect a broader pattern rather than one difficult day. The result summarizes reaction intensity, while history and context shape its meaning.
These themes are:
- Re-experiencing shows how memories, dreams, or cues revive distress.
- Arousal and sleep reflect vigilance, startle, anxiety, and difficulty settling.
- Emotional and functional impact indicates effects on feelings, relationships, work, enjoyment, and coping.
The total runs from 39 to 195, with Low (39-69) and Elevated (70-195) bands. It assesses symptom severity rather than serving as an initial PTSD screen.
Methodology and Scientific Basis
The questionnaire uses graded self-report choices: five positions may run from completely false to completely true, never to always, or similar wording. Respondents judge either how often a reaction occurs or how well a statement fits; formats should not be treated as identical for every item.
The online result combines responses into one total score. Because the item-to-point conversion is not stated, interpret the score through the displayed bands rather than infer a scoring rule from the range. Research on the Mississippi PTSD scale provides context for these constructs.
Evidence is traceable to Mississippi Scale (Keane et al., 1988), with civilian evaluations by Vreven et al. (1995) and Lauterbach et al. (1997). This questionnaire is conceptually consistent with those studies, but they do not establish norms for this online version. The research context supports coverage of reactions to reminders, sleep disruption, emotional distance, irritability, guilt, coping, functioning, and relationships.
Self-report results may shift with memory, current distress, self-awareness, and willingness to disclose. Read the score as a structured indication of symptom intensity alongside broader history, not as a diagnosis.
- Keane, T. M., Caddell, J. M., & Taylor, K. L. (1988). Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Three studies in reliability and validity. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56(1), 85–90. 10.1037/0022-006X.56.1.85
- Lauterbach, D., Vrana, S., King, D. W., & King, L. A. (1997). Psychometric properties of the civilian version of the Mississippi PTSD Scale. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 10(3), 499–513. 10.1002/jts.2490100313
- Vreven, D. L., Gudanowski, D. M., King, L. A., & King, D. W. (1995). The civilian version of the Mississippi PTSD Scale: A psychometric evaluation. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 8(1), 91–109. 10.1007/BF02105409
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