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PTSD Symptom Scale - Self-Report (PSS-SR)

PTSD Symptom Scale - Self-Report (PSS-SR) Test

In about 4 minutes, it helps you understand the presence and severity of PTSD symptoms and their impact on daily life. With 17 items, it supports fast check-ins and tracking progress over time for timely support.

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Questions: 174 minutes

Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

17,263 views

971 completion

814 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

9/15

Hyperarousal (H)

Measures the severity of hyperarousal symptoms such as irritability, sleep disturbance, heightened vigilance, and concentration problems related to trauma stress.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 5: Low | 6 – 10: Moderate | 11 – 15: High

A score of 9 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable level of hyperarousal symptoms that may affect daily functioning.

example score

10/21

Avoidance Scale (AS)

Measures how strongly a person avoids thoughts, feelings, situations, or people associated with a traumatic event.

Low avoidance

Moderate avoidance

High avoidance

0 – 7: Low avoidance | 8 – 14: Moderate avoidance | 15 – 21: High avoidance

A score of 10 falls in the Moderate avoidance range, suggesting a noticeable tendency to avoid trauma-related cues that may affect daily functioning.

example score

7/15

Re-Experiencing (RE)

Measures the frequency and intensity of intrusive trauma-related memories, nightmares, and flashbacks.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 4: Low | 5 – 9: Moderate | 10 – 15: High

A score of 7 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable but not highest level of re-experiencing symptoms in recent functioning.

example score

26/51

Total Score (TS)

Measures the overall severity of post-traumatic stress symptoms across intrusion, avoidance, and emotional arousal domains.

Low

Clinically significant

0 – 13: Low | 14 – 51: Clinically significant

A score of 26 falls in the clinically significant range, indicating a relatively elevated level of PTSD-related symptoms on this screening measure.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Frontline medical staff

44%OF USERS

Doctors, nurses, and paramedics in high-intensity settings use it to check whether repeated critical incidents are causing intrusive memories, avoidance, or heightened reactions.

Crisis and trauma responders

33%OF USERS

Emergency teams and clinicians working with disasters or violence take it to quickly gauge symptom severity and track changes over time.

Healthcare workers in recovery

23%OF USERS

Medical professionals already in counseling or after a difficult event use it to monitor progress and decide when extra support may be needed.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly

Your scores across each test scale are translated into plain, usable insights. You won’t just get numbers — you’ll learn how your results impact your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.

AI-Powered
Interpretation

You’ll receive a structured, clinically-grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation, without exaggerated language.

Statistical
Comparison

See how your results compare to others. Anonymized platform data is used to create a percentile scale, which identifies whether your results are typical.

Practical
Recommendations

You’ll receive clear, actionable guidance tailored to your profile. These easy-to-implement suggestions focus on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

AI-Powered
Insights

Get insights on behavioral and thought patterns you might not notice on your own. By uncovering subtle connections between your responses, you’ll better understand what may be driving your current results.

Discuss with
an AI Therapist

Clarify, reflect, and explore your results right away. Talk through your experience, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue.

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Used in 52+ countries

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Elevated Arousal Scale (EAS)

Average

11.1

Normal range

8.7 — 13.5

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Avoidance Scale (AS)

Average

10.9

Normal range

7.1 — 14.7

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Re-experiencing Scale (RS)

Average

10.1

Normal range

7.9 — 12.3

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Overall score (Os)

Average

35.8

Normal range

29.3 — 42.2

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It screens for the presence and severity of post-traumatic stress symptoms. It covers intrusion, avoidance, and heightened emotional or physical reactions.

Who is this questionnaire intended for?

It is intended for adults who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. It is commonly used in high-stress occupational settings, including healthcare.

How long does it take and how many items are included?

Completion time is about 4 minutes. It includes 17 items completed by self-report.

What time period should be used when answering the items?

Use the specified time frame shown in the instructions for the form being used. When no time frame is provided, use the most recent two weeks.

How should the results be used?

Scores support symptom tracking over time and can help guide follow-up evaluation. Results are not a stand-alone diagnosis and should be interpreted with clinical information.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

PTSD Symptom Scale - Self-Report (PSS-SR) Test - Symptoms and Signs

psychopathology ptsd

This self-report measure is designed to screen and quantify the severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms over a defined recent period. The PTSD Symptom Scale - Self-Report (PSS-SR) provides a structured way to capture symptom burden and support symptom monitoring over time.

It consists of 17 items and typically takes about 4 minutes to complete. Items reflect core PTSD symptom clusters and yield a symptom severity profile that can be used to inform clinical interviewing, track change, and support treatment planning; results should be interpreted in the context of clinical history and other assessment data.

The PTSD Symptom Scale - Self-Report (PSS-SR) was developed by Brian O. Rothbaum and David S. Riggs and is commonly used in clinical and research settings where brief, repeatable assessment is needed.

Author: Brian O. Rothbaum, David S. Riggs, edna-b-foa

Literature: Weathers, F. W., Litz, B. T., Keane, T. M., Palmieri, P. A., Marx, B. P., & Schnurr, P. P. The PTSD checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5): Development and initial psychometric evaluation. Journal of Traumatic Stress. 2013.; Foa, E. B., Riggs, D. S., Dancu, C. V., & Rothbaum, B. O. Reliability and validity of a brief instrument for assessing post-traumatic stress disorder. Journal of Traumatic Stress. 1993.

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