Next, you will need to assess whether the index event satisfies Criterion A. You cannot call the index event a trauma(s) unless it meets Criterion A. Because the majority of trauma(s) history screening tools, including the standard self-report version of the LEC-5, do not independently evaluate Criterion A, it is essential that you use the specific prompts in the CAPS-5 (Page 4) to assess whether Criterion A is met. After querying around the event, rate whether Criterion A is met by circling: NO, PROBABLE, or YES. If the trauma(s) history measure that is used does assess whether the event meets Criterion A (i.e., the LEC-5 interview), the Criterion A assessment on page 4 of the CAPS-5 can be skipped.

Each CAPS should be anchored to a single event (if possible) or group of related events. If the respondent reports experiencing several disparate traumatic events, work with the respondent to identify the worst event. This may be the first trauma, a later trauma that cumulatively compounded prior traumas, or an incident was most representative of all the traumas.

In general, direct experience versus witnessing, and life threat versus serious injury are coded hierarchically, with only the more severe one coded. You would only code more than one exposure type if a separate event within the umbrella of the trauma requires a different description. For example, if a person experienced life threat and also saw a friend seriously injured, this would be coded as both life threat (self, other) and serious injury (other).

If you determine that Criterion A is met, continue with the CAPS-5 administration.

If Criterion A is not met, then this precludes the possibility of the patient receiving a PTSD diagnosis. Depending on the goals of your assessment, it may be appropriate to discontinue the CAPS-5 administration if Criterion A is not met. In some cases, however, it may be useful to continue the CAPS-5 administration to gain information about the severity and nature of subthreshold PTSD symptoms the patient may be experiencing.

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