Trauma & PTSD Assessments — Free Online Screening

All 9 Trauma & PTSD assessments

ITQ — International Trauma Questionnaire

The only major screener that distinguishes between PTSD and Complex PTSD (C-PTSD). Aligned with ICD-11 criteria. 18 items covering PTSD symptoms plus the three C-PTSD domains — emotion dysregulation, negative self-concept, relationship difficulties. Particularly useful if your trauma history is prolonged or repeated (childhood adversity, ongoing abuse, chronic stress exposure). Takes 10-15 minutes. Developed by the international ITQ research consortium.

IES-R — Impact of Events Scale, Revised

One of the most widely used PTSD screening measures globally. 22 items measuring three PTSD symptom clusters — intrusion, avoidance, hyperarousal — in response to a specific traumatic event. You will be asked to identify a recent stressful or traumatic event, then rate how much each symptom has bothered you in the past week. Takes 5-10 minutes. Useful for current symptom severity tracking, not just initial screening.

TSQ — Trauma Screening Questionnaire

A brief 10-question PTSD screener developed for use in primary care and emergency settings. Originally published in the British Journal of Psychiatry. Designed to identify people who would benefit from full PTSD assessment without requiring a long structured interview. Takes 3-5 minutes. A score of 6+ typically warrants follow-up evaluation. Best as a quick initial screen if you are unsure whether your symptoms warrant clinical attention.

ICG — Inventory of Complicated Grief

The standard screening tool for prolonged grief disorder (also called complicated grief). Measures grief symptoms that persist beyond what is typical and significantly impair daily functioning. 19 items including yearning, disbelief, anger, and difficulty accepting the loss. Useful if you have experienced significant bereavement and feel your grief is not lifting, is intensifying, or is interfering with your daily life. Takes 5-10 minutes.

ProQOL — Professional Quality of Life Scale (5th ed.)

Specifically designed for people in helping professions — therapists, nurses, doctors, social workers, first responders, caregivers. Measures compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress (the trauma symptoms that can develop from repeatedly hearing about or witnessing others' trauma). 30 items. Useful for healthcare workers, NGO workers, and anyone in a caregiving role. Takes 10-15 minutes.

TRM — Trauma Recovery Measure

Measures progress in trauma recovery rather than initial screening. Useful if you have already begun therapy and want to track how recovery is progressing across domains like safety, emotion regulation, and re-engagement with life. Best used periodically (every 4-8 weeks) during trauma therapy to monitor change. Discuss with your therapist for interpretation.

ITQ-CA — International Trauma Questionnaire, Child & Adolescent

The paediatric adaptation of the ITQ for children and adolescents (typically ages 7-17). Adapted language and slightly different question framing. Should ideally be completed with parent or guardian support for younger children. Takes 10-15 minutes.

TMQQ — Trauma Memory Quality Questionnaire

Specifically measures the quality and intrusiveness of trauma memories — vividness, sensory detail, fragmentation, sense of "happening now". Particularly useful when memory disturbance is the primary symptom concern, and when planning EMDR or memory-focused trauma therapy. 15 items. Takes 5-10 minutes.

OTTI — OCD Trauma Timeline Interview

Specialised screener at the intersection of trauma history and OCD symptoms. Useful when OCD onset followed or was significantly worsened by a trauma. Typically used in clinical assessment rather than as a self-screen — bring this to a session with an OCD or trauma specialist. Takes 15-25 minutes if completed in depth.

Which assessment should I take?

| If… | Start with | |---|---| | Not sure if I have any trauma-related issue | TSQ (5 minutes, simple yes/no) | | A specific recent event is causing symptoms | IES-R (current symptom severity) | | Prolonged or repeated trauma (childhood, abuse, war) | ITQ (distinguishes PTSD from C-PTSD) | | Loss of someone close that is not lifting | ICG (complicated grief) | | Healthcare worker or caregiver burnout | ProQOL | | Already in trauma therapy, want to track progress | TRM | | Child or teen showing trauma symptoms | ITQ-CA (with adult support) | | OCD that started after trauma | OTTI (with clinician) | | Vivid intrusive trauma memories specifically | TMQQ |

Take more than one if multiple apply. Bring the results to a clinician for interpretation — screening scores are most useful when discussed with someone trained to contextualise them.

Understanding PTSD vs Complex PTSD

PTSD typically follows a single or short-duration traumatic event. Complex PTSD follows prolonged repeated trauma — childhood abuse, ongoing domestic violence, captivity, war over time — and includes PTSD symptoms plus three additional domains:

• Emotion dysregulation — intense, hard-to-modulate emotional responses
• Negative self-concept — persistent shame, guilt, sense of being defective
• Relationship difficulties — difficulty trusting, sustaining closeness, or feeling safe with others

C-PTSD was officially included in ICD-11 in 2018. Different therapy approaches — single-event PTSD often responds to focused CBT or EMDR; C-PTSD typically needs longer-term, phased treatment that integrates stabilisation, processing, and relational repair. The ITQ is the only self-report screener that maps to both PTSD and C-PTSD ICD-11 criteria.

What trauma therapy actually looks like

Effective trauma treatments include trauma-focused CBT, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing), Prolonged Exposure therapy, and 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 — most people are more ready than they think, and 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
• Trauma flashbacks that feel like the event is happening now
• Severe dissociation (losing time, not feeling real, not recognising surroundings)
• 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.

After your assessment

• In-the-moment grounding for trauma-related distress — the Emergency Reset audios (5-4-3-2-1 Grounding, Cold Water Visualization, Vagus Nerve Activation) are the right tool for acute moments.
• General mental fitness alongside trauma work — the 90-day Emotional Reset Journey provides weekly structured reflection. Note: trauma processing should happen with a specialist, not via self-paced work alone.
• Book a trauma-trained clinician — the Mindtalk doctors directory covers Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mysore, and online sessions across India.