CPTSD Test (ITQ) — Free Complex PTSD & PTSD Screener, ICD-11 Aligned
The only major screener that distinguishes PTSD from Complex PTSD. ICD-11 aligned, 18 items, 10-15 minutes. Free in the Mindtalk app.
Clinically reviewed by Ms. Suhita Saha, MPhil Clinical Psychology, MA Psychology. Last reviewed 2026-09-25.
Trauma screening can be activating — read first
The ITQ asks questions about trauma symptoms. Answering them can sometimes intensify those symptoms briefly. If you are in active trauma therapy, take the ITQ with your therapist's awareness. If you experience strong activation during or after the assessment, use grounding techniques (the Emergency Reset audios are designed for this) and reach out to the lines below.
- iCall India: 9152987821
- Vandrevala Foundation: 1860 2662 345
- AASRA: +91 98204 66726
- Cadabams 24/7: +91 97414 76476
All lines listed are free and confidential.
The ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD criteria
The ITQ maps to the ICD-11 diagnostic framework. Meeting the criteria suggests clinical evaluation is warranted; screening is not diagnosis — a trauma-trained clinician must confirm.
PTSD criteria (3 of 3 required)
- Re-experiencing in the present — vivid intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares accompanied by emotion or physical sensation
- Avoidance of trauma reminders — internal (thoughts, memories) or external (people, places, situations)
- Persistent sense of current threat — hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response
Complex PTSD additional criteria (all 3 required, in addition to PTSD)
- Affective dysregulation — heightened emotional reactivity, emotional numbing, dissociative symptoms
- Negative self-concept — persistent beliefs of worthlessness, defeat, shame, guilt
- Disturbances in relationships — difficulty sustaining relationships, feeling distant from others, avoiding intimacy
A clinician using the ITQ results plus a structured clinical interview confirms diagnosis. If the ITQ is the start of your journey toward trauma-focused care, this is the right first step.
How the ITQ is scored
Each of the 12 symptom items is rated from 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely) for the past month. A symptom is counted as present when it is rated 2 (moderately) or higher. The scoring is rule-based, so the result is a screening category rather than a single total.
| Result | Rule | What it suggests | Suggested next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below threshold | PTSD rules not met | Symptoms below the ICD-11 screening threshold | Re-screen if symptoms change; seek help if distress is high anyway |
| Probable PTSD | One of two symptoms in each PTSD cluster (re-experiencing, avoidance, sense of threat) plus functional impairment | Symptom pattern consistent with ICD-11 PTSD | Assessment with a trauma-trained clinician |
| Probable complex PTSD | PTSD rules met, plus one of two symptoms in each self-organisation cluster (emotion regulation, self-concept, relationships) plus impairment | Symptom pattern consistent with ICD-11 complex PTSD | Assessment with a clinician experienced in complex trauma |
You screen positive for either PTSD or complex PTSD, not both. If you want a DSM-5 based total score instead, the PCL-5 is the most widely used PTSD checklist. More about the condition itself is on our PTSD page.
What trauma therapy actually looks like
Effective trauma treatments include:
- Trauma-focused CBT
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing)
- Prolonged Exposure therapy
- Internal Family Systems for complex presentations
Therapy usually proceeds in phases — stabilisation (building emotional regulation skills), processing (working through the traumatic memories), and integration (re-engaging with life). Most evidence-based trauma therapy is 12-25 sessions for single-event PTSD; longer for C-PTSD. The "wait until you are ready" myth is not accurate — skilled trauma therapists pace work to prevent overwhelm.
Cadabams' trauma-trained clinicians offer assessment and therapy in Bengaluru and online across India. Filter the doctors directory for trauma specialism.
When to seek clinical help urgently
Do not wait for a scheduled assessment if:
- Active suicidal thoughts or self-harm behaviour — see Suicide & Safety for crisis support
- Trauma flashbacks that feel like the event is happening now
- Severe dissociation — see Dissociation assessments
- Inability to function in daily life (cannot work, cannot care for self or others)
- Significant escalation of symptoms (sudden worsening over days or weeks)
Contact a crisis helpline (listed in the safety section above) or book a Mindtalk specialist immediately.
Validation and evidence
The ITQ was developed by Marylène Cloitre, Mark Shevlin, Chris Brewin and colleagues, and its final form was published in 2018. The developers used item response theory on a trauma-exposed UK community sample (n = 1,051) and a clinical sample (n = 247) to select the 12 best symptom indicators, and confirmatory factor analysis supported the ICD-11 structure of PTSD plus complex PTSD. The questionnaire is freely available in the published paper. In India, the ITQ has been used in a 2025 study of 538 college students, which found 20.8% screened positive for PTSD and 15.2% for complex PTSD, with self-organisation problems most strongly linked to depression, anxiety and stress. That was a prevalence study rather than a formal validation, so Indian norms are still emerging.
References
- Cloitre M, Shevlin M, Brewin CR, et al. The International Trauma Questionnaire: development of a self-report measure of ICD-11 PTSD and complex PTSD. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2018;138(6):536-546. PubMed
- Pandey MK, Shukla S, Mishra P, et al. Initial insights into ICD-11 complex PTSD and emotional distress in emerging adults in India: prevalence, predictors, and psychosocial correlates. Indian J Psychol Med. 2025. PubMed
Pair with related Mindtalk tools
- The full Trauma & PTSD assessments category includes 8 screeners — IES-R, TSQ, ICG, ProQOL, TRM, TMQQ, OTTI alongside the ITQ
- The Emergency Reset audios (5-4-3-2-1 Grounding, Cold Water Visualization, Vagus Nerve Activation) are the right tool for acute moments of trauma activation
- The Dissociation assessments (DES II, DES-B) screen for dissociative experiences that commonly co-occur with trauma
- The Suicide & Safety page provides crisis resources if trauma is accompanied by suicidal thoughts
- The Childhood Trauma Test maps how early adversity still shows up in adult life
How to take the ITQ
- 1
Open the ITQ in the Mindtalk app
Tap "Take the ITQ" to open the assessment. You will need a free Mindtalk account — sign-in takes under a minute. Results stay private to your account.
- 2
Answer the 18 questions
You will be asked to identify a stressful or traumatic event first, then rate how much each symptom has bothered you over the past month. If you experience activation during the assessment, pause and use grounding techniques.
- 3
Get your PTSD and CPTSD results
You receive separate results for PTSD criteria and Complex PTSD criteria (binary per criterion). Meeting PTSD criteria suggests PTSD-level concerns; meeting both PTSD AND the additional CPTSD criteria suggests Complex PTSD. The app surfaces clinical consultation options.
Related assessment guides
ACE (explained) → CHILDAFF alternative
Take the ACE questionnaire — 10 questions about childhood adversity that predict adult mental and physical health. Free explanation and CHILDAFF alternative in the Mindtalk app.
Read the guide →CHILDAFF
How has your childhood affected you? Test the pattern in 3 minutes. Free in the Mindtalk app.
Read the guide →PCL-5 (explained) → ITQ free alternative
The PCL-5 — the standard 20-item DSM-5-anchored PTSD self-report scale. Learn what it is, and take the free ITQ trauma screener in the Mindtalk app.
Read the guide →Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the ITQ?
- The ITQ (International Trauma Questionnaire) is the only major PTSD screener that distinguishes between PTSD and Complex PTSD (C-PTSD), aligned with ICD-11 diagnostic criteria. 18 items measuring PTSD symptoms (re-experiencing, avoidance, hyperarousal) and three additional Complex PTSD domains (emotion dysregulation, negative self-concept, relationship difficulties). Takes 10-15 minutes. Developed by the international ITQ research consortium led by Cloitre, Shevlin, Roberts, and others.
- What's the difference between PTSD and Complex PTSD?
- PTSD typically follows a single or short-duration traumatic event (an accident, an assault, a natural disaster). Complex PTSD follows prolonged, repeated trauma — childhood abuse, ongoing domestic violence, captivity, war exposure over time — and includes PTSD symptoms PLUS three additional domains: emotion dysregulation (difficulty managing emotions), negative self-concept (persistent shame, worthlessness), and disturbed relationships (difficulty trusting, sustaining closeness). C-PTSD was officially included in ICD-11 in 2018 — the ITQ is the screener built for this diagnostic framework.
- What does an elevated ITQ score mean?
- The ITQ produces separate scores for PTSD and Complex PTSD. Elevated scores on either warrant clinical evaluation by a trauma-trained clinician. Specifically — meeting the PTSD criteria suggests PTSD-level concerns; meeting both PTSD AND the additional CPTSD criteria suggests Complex PTSD. The scoring is binary per criterion rather than a single total score. Bring results to a trauma-trained clinician for interpretation — general psychiatric assessment often misses CPTSD's distinctive features.
- Should I take the ITQ if I'm not sure I have trauma?
- Yes if you suspect it. Many people with significant trauma histories do not initially identify their experiences as 'trauma' — particularly when the trauma was prolonged, normalised in family or cultural context, or began in early childhood. The ITQ does not require you to label specific events; it asks about current symptom patterns. A clear screen result helps clarify whether trauma-focused therapy is appropriate. If you are unsure whether your experiences 'count' as trauma — that uncertainty is common in trauma survivors and not a reason to avoid screening.
- Can the ITQ trigger trauma responses?
- Yes, potentially. Answering questions about trauma symptoms can sometimes intensify those symptoms briefly. If you experience strong activation during the assessment, stop and use grounding (Emergency Reset audios), reach out to your therapist if you have one, or contact a crisis helpline (iCall 9152987821, Vandrevala 1860 2662 345). If you are in active trauma therapy, take the ITQ with your therapist's awareness. The brief activation usually passes; persistent strong activation suggests you would benefit from clinical support.
- Is this CPTSD test free?
- Yes. The ITQ is freely available from its developers, and the Mindtalk app lets you take it at no cost with a free account. You get separate PTSD and complex PTSD screening results plus a suggested next step. It is a screening test, so a positive result should be followed by an assessment with a trauma-trained clinician.
- How is the ITQ scored?
- Each item is rated 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely). A symptom counts if rated 2 or higher. PTSD is indicated when at least one of two symptoms is endorsed in each of re-experiencing, avoidance and sense of threat, plus functional impairment. Complex PTSD is indicated when PTSD criteria are met and at least one of two symptoms is endorsed in each of affective dysregulation, negative self-concept and disturbed relationships, plus impairment. You screen positive for one or the other, not both.
Need a clinician's read on your results?
A high score is a signal, not a diagnosis. Mindtalk's psychiatrists and clinical psychologists can interpret your results and recommend next steps — same-day appointments available.