This lesson described the history and rationale of the CAPS, its unique features, and its purpose and uses. This section also included an overview of the revisions for the CAPS-5.

Some key points you should remember include:

• The CAPS-5 is ideal for assessing PTSD because it:
  • Takes both the frequency and intensity of each of the DSM-specified PTSD symptoms into consideration for making severity ratings
  • Provides three versions to suit different purposes—the past-week version to check changes over shorter periods of time (i.e., for use during a clinical trial), the past-month version to assess current PTSD diagnostic status, and the past-month/worst-month version to assess for lifetime PTSD
  • Assesses for Criterion A in concert with the revised version of the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5)
  • Includes prompts to assess whether the symptom is trauma-related
  • Provides standardized prompts for assessing each symptom
• Current PTSD diagnostic status should be evaluated with the past month version of the CAPS-5.
• The CAPS has behavioral anchors, which increase the capacity of the CAPS to assess PTSD , because people may express posttraumatic symptoms differently. However, interpret measures in a cautious and culturally sensitive way.