Behavioral Health Medicine What is the best screening tool for assessing PTSD in primary care? Summary

(PC-PTSD) scale appears to be the best screening option. This conclusion is based on ease of use, validation in primary care, good sensitivity and specificity, and its use of an eighth grade reading level. The evidence Estimates of PTSD in primary care are around 11%, and patients with PTSD are more likely to present to primary care settings than to mental health settings.1,2 In primary care, PTSD symptoms are associated with elevated somatic symptoms, poorer health, greater medical utilization, and functional impairment.2 Use of screening tools can assist with detection of PTSD in individuals with risk factors. Longer diagnostic assessments, which may require administration by a mental health clinician, are not practical in primar