Total score: 0–21
One point is counted for every Yes. In the original help-seeking validation, 3 or more endorsed experiences was used as a research follow-up threshold.
Clinical screening tool · unusual perceptual and thought experiences
Psychosis Risk Screen (PQ-B)
Check unusual thoughts, perceptions, suspiciousness, and communication experiences from the past month. The free result shows both your PQ-B total and distress scores. This is not a schizophrenia diagnosis or a prediction that you will develop psychosis.
What this doesFocused self-checkTimeAbout 5–8 minutesPrivacyNo signupResultFree full result
Free full result21 itemsAbout 5–8 minutesAdults 18–35 in this buildNo signup
Full basic result · no account · no email · no free-text answers
First-stage screenNot a psychosis or schizophrenia diagnosis.
No per-use chargeThe PQ-B screen, result, and discussion summary stay free.
Private by defaultAnswers stay in this browser tab while you complete the assessment.
Instrument registrySee rights, evidence and limitations →What you will do
Answer 21 Yes/No questions about the past month.
Do not count an experience if it happened only while you were under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medication that was not prescribed to you. Whenever you answer Yes, one short follow-up asks how frightening, concerning, or disruptive the experience felt.
- Total score = number of Yes responses, from 0 to 21.
- Distress score = 1–5 points for each endorsed experience, from 0 to 105.
- The complete screening result, limits, and next steps are free.
- A threshold result means “consider follow-up,” not “you have psychosis.”
What the PQ-B measures
Unusual experiences plus how distressing they are.
The 21-item Prodromal Questionnaire–Brief asks about unusual perceptions, beliefs, suspiciousness, thought experiences, and communication difficulties. Every endorsed item also receives a distress/impairment rating.
Distress score: 0–105
Each endorsed experience is weighted from 1 to 5 by how frightening, concerning, or disruptive it feels. The original validation used 6 or more as a distress follow-up threshold.
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Threshold does not mean diagnosis
The original thresholds were studied in help-seeking adolescents and young adults referred to early-psychosis clinics. A broad online population can produce more false positives, so we show the thresholds as research follow-up signals rather than labels.
Scoring and interpretation
How your free PQ-B result is calculated
Every Yes contributes 1 point to the total score. If you answer Yes, the follow-up response contributes 1–5 points to the distress score. The result shows both numbers rather than collapsing them into a made-up single percentage.
The total score, distress score, research-threshold interpretation, limitations, and next steps stay free.
What a clinician adds
Context matters more than a questionnaire threshold.
A trained clinician can ask about timing, functioning, sleep, trauma, mood, anxiety, substances, medications, cultural or spiritual context, medical issues, and whether experiences are persistent or worsening. That is why the PQ-B is a screen rather than a stand-alone diagnosis.
Who this screening experience is for
Adults 18–35 who want a first-stage check of unusual experiences.
The original PQ-B validation included help-seeking adolescents and young adults ages 12–35. DesperateMinds limits this educational implementation to adults 18–35; screening younger people requires separate age-appropriate clinical and safeguarding review.
Clinical review and use limits
This screen should not be treated as a validated clinical or diagnostic service unless an independent qualified reviewer verifies the exact English PQ-B wording, conditional distress questions, scoring, age positioning, threshold language, safety flow, privacy, and care guidance.
Sources and instrument governance
Why this screener remains free.
- UCSF Loewy Lab — official PQ versions and use conditions
- Loewy et al. (2011) — original PQ-B validation
- Full-text validation paper — scoring and threshold performance
UCSF states that listed PQ versions are free to use for research, clinical purposes, and EHR platforms as long as users are not charged per use. Therefore DesperateMinds will not put the PQ-B screen, its basic result, or its discussion summary behind a per-use payment.
Frequently asked questions
Before you take a psychosis-risk screen
Does a positive PQ-B mean I have schizophrenia?
No. The PQ-B is a first-stage screening questionnaire. A threshold result only means that a trained follow-up assessment may be useful.
Why are there two scores?
The total score counts how many experiences you endorsed. The distress score adds information about how frightening, concerning, or disruptive those experiences felt.
Can anxiety, trauma, sleep loss, or substances affect the answers?
Yes. Unusual perceptual or thought experiences can occur in many contexts. The screen specifically asks you not to count experiences that occurred only while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or non-prescribed medication.
What if I need urgent help?
If you cannot stay safe, are being told by a voice to harm yourself or someone else, or are too confused or overwhelmed to care for yourself, use urgent or emergency support rather than relying on an online screen.
First-stage screening
A PQ-B result is designed to identify who may benefit from further assessment
The PQ-B is not a schizophrenia test and cannot predict with certainty who will develop a psychotic disorder. Unusual experiences can occur for many reasons, and interpretation depends on distress, functional change, substance use, mood symptoms, sleep, medical factors and the person’s broader history.
| What to notice | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| New or increasing experiences | A clear change from baseline can be more important than an isolated unusual experience. |
| Distress and conviction | How frightening or fixed the experience feels can affect the need for follow-up. |
| Functional decline | Changes in self-care, study, work or relationships can raise concern. |
| Safety | Immediate danger, severe confusion or inability to care for basic needs requires urgent help. |
Use the screen as a reason to seek a qualified assessment when concerns are new, worsening or impairing. Read psychosis signs and evaluation and early signs of psychosis.
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Assessment privacy and limits
No payment or email is required to complete this screening experience. The PQ-B is presented as an educational first-stage screen, not a diagnosis, and use remains subject to its applicable rights and clinical-governance requirements.