Page 90 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Summer 2015

structured interview administered by a behavioral health clini- The PCL-M (Figure 1) is a 17-question Likert scale question-
cian, and takes approximately 45 minutes to complete. For naire that takes approximately 1 minute to administer. The
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study populations, a patient must have multiple CAPS to es- PCL is an adequate quantitative metric that can serve to dem-
tablish interrater variability if there is more than one person onstrate to providers the effectiveness of SGB.
administering the test. Significant improvement after SGB was
reported in one case series of nine patients using CAPS as the Once the probability of PTSD is established by scale or check-
metric. 7 list, the provider must also confirm the duration of symptoms
within each of four symptom clusters (intrusion; avoidance;
Although the PCL is not the preferred metric for PTSD described negative alterations in cognitions and mood; and alterations
in behavioral health peer-reviewed publications, the PCL is a in arousal and reactivity). The prime stressor should be veri-
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reasonable alternative for initial and follow-up documenta- fied through history of significant combat exposure or other
tion by clinicians in nonstudy or limited study populations. traumatic event, and basic information gathered to place this

Figure 1 Posttraumatic stress disorder checklist – Military Version (PCL-M).
PTSD CheckList – Military Version (PCL-M)

Patient’s Name: _______________________________________________________
Instruction to patient: Below is a list of problems and complaints that veterans sometimes have in response to stressful life
experiences. Please read each one carefully, and put an “X” in the box to indicate how much you have been bothered by that
problem in the last month.
Not at all A little bit Moderately Quite a bit Extremely
No. Response (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
1. Repeated, disturbing memories, thoughts, or images
of a stressful military experience from the past?
2. Repeated, disturbing dreams of a stressful military
experience from the past?
3. Suddenly acting or feeling as if a stressful military
experience were happening again (as if you were
reliving it)?
4. Feeling very upset when something reminded you of
a stressful military experience from the past?
5. Having physical reactions (e.g., heart pounding,
trouble breathing, or sweating) when something
reminded you of a stressful military experience from
the past?
6. Avoid thinking about or talking about a stressful
military experience from the past or avoid having
feelings related to it?
7. Avoid activities or situations because they remind
you of a stressful military experience from the past?
8. Trouble remembering important parts of a stressful
military experience from the past?
9. Loss of interest in things that you used to enjoy?
10. Feeling distant or cut off from other people?
11. Feeling emotionally numb or being unable to have
loving feelings for those close to you?
12. Feeling as if your future will somehow be cut short?
13. Trouble falling or staying asleep?
14. Feeling irritable or having angry outbursts?
15. Having difficulty concentrating?
16. Being “super alert” or watchful on guard?
17. Feeling jumpy or easily startled?
PCL-M for DSM-IV (11/1/94) Weathers, Litz, Huska, & Keane National Center for PTSD - Behavioral Science Division
This is a Government document in the public domain.

80 Journal of Special Operations Medicine Volume 15, Edition 2/Summer 2015