Note: Your responses to this questionnaire are anonymous. Your scores are not recorded by Healthify and we don't capture any information that can identify you.
Low or no data? Visit Zero Data then search for 'Healthify'. Click on our logo to return to our site and browse for free.
Kessler-10 (K10) distress scale
Distress scale – Kessler 10
- The Kessler-10 scale is one of the tools used to screen for psychological distress, such as anxiety or depression.
- This is not intended to provide a diagnosis – only trained health professionals should do this.
The Kessler-10 scale was developed for use in the US National Health Interview Survey. It is a short measure of non-specific psychological distress based on questions about the level of nervousness, agitation, psychological fatigue and depression.
Professor Ronald C Kessler of the Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School is thanked for the use of research on the Kessler-10 funded by US Public Health Service Grants RO1 MH46376, R01 MH52861, RO1 MH49098 and K05 MH00507, and by the John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation Network on Successful Midlife Development (Gilbert Brim, Director).
How to interpret your Kessler-10 score
- Each item is scored from 1 = ‘none of the time’ to 5 = ‘all of the time’. Scores of the 10 items are then summed, yielding a minimum score of 10 and a maximum score of 50.
- Low scores indicate low levels of psychological distress and high scores indicate high levels of psychological distress.
- Please note that while great care has been taken with the development of this self-test, it is not intended to be a substitute for professional clinical advice. The result is indicative only. If you have scored above the threshold on this scale, see your doctor or a mental health practitioner, such as a counsellor, psychotherapist or psychologist.(external link)
The Kessler-10 has been translated into the following languages and is available on the Transcultural Mental Health Centre website. It is strongly recommended that these questions are completed with a health professional.
- Kessler-10 - Arabic
- Kessler-10 - Bengali
- Kessler-10 - Burmese
- Kessler-10 - Croatian
- Kessler-10 - Dari
- Kessler-10 - Farsi
- Kessler-10 - French
- Kessler-10 - Greek
- Kessler-10 - Hindi
- Kessler-10 - Khmer
- Kessler-10 - Korean
- Kessler-10 - Spanish
- Kessler-10 - Thai
- Kessler-10 - Traditional Chinese
For other languages, visit Transcultural Mental Health Centre(external link) website.
Resources
Kessler 10(external link) Black Dog Institute, Australia
Related topics
Living well with depression
Depression | Mate pāpouri
Anxiety | Mate māharahara
Tools
Mental health topics
Mental health and wellbeing apps
- Andrews G, Slade T. Interpreting scores on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health(external link) 2001, Dec; 25(6):494-497.
Credits: Healthify editorial team. Healthify is brought to you by Health Navigator Charitable Trust.
