Post-Traumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale

The post-traumatic stress diagnostic scale (PDS) is a self-report measure that helps identify the presence and severity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, is a condition where an individual experiences frequent bouts of distressing and intrusive thoughts following a traumatic event. Though PTSD can occur for a variety of reasons, it may typically manifest following a particularly traumatic event like a natural disaster, or after hearing of a traumatic event within someone else's life.

Although many symptoms may indicate PTSD, the most common include the following:

• Arousal and reactivity symptoms, like irritability or tenseness
• Avoidance symptoms, like avoiding thoughts or feelings
• Cognition and mood symptoms, like poor memory or loss of interest
• Re-experiencing symptoms, like dreams or flashbacks