Do I have Operational Stress Injury?
This screening tool is designed as a guide to determine if you might have symptoms of an Operational Stress Injury
A high score on this screening tool does not mean you have an Operational Stress Injury. A licenced psychologist can complete a more thorough assessment to determine if this is what you are experiencing. This screening tool has 20 questions in total and should take about 3-5 minutes to complete. The test is completely confidential, and your responses will not be recorded by Archways Centre for CBT.
If your job involves service as a military member or first responder, please answer the following questions.
Are you experiencing difficulties in the following areas?
Yes No | Repeated, distressing memories, or dreams |
Yes No | Fatigue/sleep disturbance (troubles falling asleep, nightmares, restless sleep, excessive sweating at night). |
Yes No | Mood changes/irritability (short fuse/growing inflexible attitude |
Yes No | Frustration with failure/frustration with incompetence of others. |
Yes No | Difficulty managing stress |
Yes No | Difficulty concentration/memory loss. |
Yes No | Difficulty communicating (withdrawal/speaks in the form of orders/finds it hard to be told to do something). |
Yes No | Difficulty with emotional connections and fluctuating emotions, which can affect intimacy (difficulty experiencing feelings, difficulty hugging children, change in sexual habits, etc.). |
Yes No | Feels that he/she was not up to the task/feels guilt regarding ethe events that occurred on a mission or in relation to his/her family. |
Yes No | Change in core beliefs (example: the world is unsafe). |
Yes No | Greater threat sensitivity/feeling of vulnerability/putting safety plans in place (moves constantly so as not to be a target, walks on escalators, looks everywhere upon arriving in a new place, etc.). |
Yes No | Flashbacks, repetitive memories, (images, sounds, smells). |
Yes No | Jumpy and shows hypervigilance carries around an object for self-defence, is started by such things as the sound of a door slamming, etc.). |
Yes No | Adrenaline-seeking (seeks thrills in action movies, video games, extreme sports, etc.). |
Yes No | Hyperactivity (finds it hard to be doing nothing, all repairs are urgent, exhausts him/herself in order to be able to sleep, etc.). |
Yes No | Risky driving (drives in the middle of the road, accelerates at intersections, tailgates, impatience behind the wheel, road rage, etc.). |
Yes No | Avoidance behaviours (avoids crowds, hates waiting in line, avoids conversation or movies associated with his/her memories, etc.). |
Yes No | Loss if interest in activities “I don’t care” attitude. |
Yes No | Sense of hopelessness and sense of shame. |
Yes No | Excessive use of alcohol or other substances/gambling addiction (to relax, get to sleep, manage difficult memories). |
Yes No | Signs of anxiety and depression/dark thoughts. |
If you answered yes to more than one of these questions, you may have an Operational Stress Injury. However, a licensed psychologist can make a more accurate determination. If you are experiencing distress by these behaviours, consider getting in touch with us for a complete and thorough evaluation.
Clinical Psychologist:
Gita Canaran, M.A., C.Psych.
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