The National Stressful Events Survey (Kilpatrick, Resnick, Baber, Guille, & Gros, 2011) was conducted with a large sample recruited from an online panel of U.S. adults, and participants were assessed for exposure to DSM-IV and DSM-5 Criterion A events, as well as for PTSD symptoms and distress or functional impairment associated with PTSD symptoms. The National Stressful Events Survey assessment measure was a self-administered, highly structured survey completed online that mirrored the format of an interactive structured clinical interview by using a conditional branching format that included follow-up questions contingent on prior responses. Also, questions measuring exposure to Criterion A events and PTSD symptoms were developed with input from and review by the DSM-5 Sub-work Group to ensure that the wording captured the content of events and symptoms as intended.
