This article will guide you on how to create an Ex-Cult Member survey about PTSD symptoms. If you want to build such a survey in seconds, Specific can help—just generate your survey here.
Steps to create a survey for ex-cult members about PTSD symptoms
If you want to save time, just generate a survey with Specific.
Tell what survey you want.
Done.
You honestly don’t even need to read further. AI will generate a semantic survey packed with expert knowledge. It automatically asks meaningful followup questions, so you get not just answers, but real insights into PTSD experiences from ex-cult members. If you’d rather explore or customize your own, you can always start fresh using the AI survey generator.
Why running an ex-cult member PTSD symptoms survey matters
Let’s get real: understanding the lived experiences of ex-cult members isn’t just helpful—it's mission-critical. If you’re not running these surveys, you’re missing out on valuable insight that could inform everything from support programs to future research.
Over 71% of female and 61% of male ex-cult members have PTSD symptoms. That’s a massive leap compared to the 6.8% lifetime prevalence in the general adult population, according to recent research. [1]
A third of former International Churches of Christ members fall into the moderate to severe depression range, compared to only 2% in non-cultic groups. [2]
These numbers don’t just highlight risk—they’re a red flag for any organization, therapist, or researcher interested in helping ex-cult members recover. The importance of an ex-cult member recognition survey is clear: you need up-to-date information straight from the source to focus your intervention and track progress.
If you skip gathering feedback, you risk missing what ex-cult members are really struggling with—like avoidance, intrusive memories, or unique triggers. Benefits of ex-cult member feedback go beyond data: you start building trust, opening communication, and ultimately, helping people heal. Specific’s surveys are designed to capture exactly this kind of granular context.
What makes a good survey on PTSD symptoms
Building a survey that gets honest, actionable answers means asking clear, unbiased questions in a way that makes people feel safe and respected. The tone is crucial: conversational and nonjudgmental, not robotic or clinical.
We’re all after high response rates and rich answers. At the end of the day, the best measure of a good survey is how many people take it—and how open and specific those responses are. If you get both, you know your survey works.
Bad Practices | Good Practices |
|---|---|
Yes/no only questions | Allow space to elaborate in their own words |
Loaded or leading language | Neutral, gently worded questions |
Survey too long/complex | Short, focused, easy to complete on mobile |
Keep it friendly and clear—your goal is to invite honesty. AI survey tools like Specific naturally encourage this conversational style, making it easier for respondents to share their experiences with PTSD symptoms.
Question types and examples for ex-cult member PTSD symptoms surveys
Great surveys mix question types for robust results. Let’s break down some examples and when each works best.
Open-ended questions let ex-cult members describe their symptoms and emotions in their own words—perfect when you don’t want to put people into boxes. They’re best for gathering nuanced insights or stories. Here are a couple of open-ended examples:
Can you describe the most persistent PTSD symptom you’ve experienced since leaving the group?
How have your relationships or daily routines changed as a result of these symptoms?
Single-select multiple-choice questions are ideal when you need structured data for analysis—pick one best answer out of a clear set. For example:
In the last month, which symptom have you struggled with the most?
Difficulty sleeping
Intrusive thoughts
Emotional numbness
Hypervigilance
NPS (Net Promoter Score) question types work surprisingly well when you want a standard metric (especially if you want to benchmark across groups or over time). You can generate a NPS survey for ex-cult members about PTSD symptoms instantly. Here’s a typical NPS question:
On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend this support program or resource to another ex-cult member dealing with PTSD symptoms?
Followup questions to uncover "the why" are essential. AI-powered tools automatically ask clarifying questions when an answer is vague, or when there’s an obvious opportunity to dig deeper. For example, if someone says they struggle with “sleeping problems”, a good followup is:
What’s the main factor interfering with your sleep: nightmares, anxiety, or something else?
Want to explore even more question examples and tips? Check out our guide on the best questions for ex-cult member PTSD symptoms surveys—you’ll find ready-to-use templates and expert advice there.
What is a conversational survey?
A conversational survey is more than just putting questions on a form—it’s a back-and-forth exchange, just like a chat. This makes it easier and less intimidating for ex-cult members to share honest details about their PTSD symptoms. Unlike manual survey creation, AI survey generation does the heavy lifting: drafting context-aware, empathetic questions that adapt in real time based on previous answers.
Manual Survey | AI-Generated Survey |
|---|---|
Static, rigid questions | Dynamic, context-sensitive questions |
No or generic followups | Personalized, expert-level followups |
Tedious survey setup | Create survey by simply describing your goal |
Why use AI for ex-cult member surveys? With AI, you remove guesswork, bias, and the feeling of being interrogated. The survey flows like a conversation. Plus, you don’t need to be a research expert—AI can instantly draft, edit, and personalize questions for this sensitive audience. If you're curious about how easy and fast this is, explore how to create and analyze a conversational survey with Specific.
If smooth user experience is a priority, Specific is ahead of the curve. Our platform specializes in best-in-class conversational surveys, making every feedback session engaging and stress-free for both survey creators and respondents.
The power of follow-up questions
Follow-up questions are the secret sauce of a conversational survey. Without them, you risk getting shallow, ambiguous responses that take extra time and effort to clarify manually. With Specific’s AI-powered automated follow-up feature, every survey transforms into a mini-interview—digging deeper as soon as the respondent replies.
Ex-cult member: “I often feel anxious, but I’m not sure why.”
AI follow-up: “Is there a particular memory or situation that usually triggers your anxiety, or does it tend to come on unexpectedly?”
How many followups to ask? Usually, 2–3 targeted follow-ups do the trick. With Specific, you can set the right balance—skipping to the next question once the core context is captured, so respondents never feel overwhelmed.
This makes it a conversational survey: natural, intuitive, and context-aware. It doesn’t feel like a boring form; it feels like feeling heard.
AI survey analysis is painless—automated tools make it simple to summarize large volumes of unstructured responses. You can dive deeper into this topic in our article on how to analyze open-ended survey answers easily using AI.
Followup questions are a new paradigm—try generating a survey and see how effortlessly you start getting deeper insights.
See this PTSD symptoms survey example now
Start getting deeper, richer feedback from ex-cult members about PTSD symptoms in minutes—AI-powered surveys let you ask, follow up, and analyze results like a pro. Create your own survey and see how easy it is to uncover what matters most.