Free self-tests · 3 min · 10 questions
K10 psychological distress questionnaire: a private self-check
The K10 asks ten questions about how often you have felt tired, nervous, low, restless or worthless over the past 30 days. It measures general psychological distress, which means how much strain you have been under overall, rather than one specific condition.
It is a screening questionnaire, used in health surveys in several countries. It can give you a sense of how heavy the last month has been, but it cannot diagnose anything.
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The following questions ask about how you have been feeling during the past 30 days. During that month, how often did you feel …
Your results
This is a self-report questionnaire, not a diagnosis. Only a qualified professional can assess you properly.
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The PDF is created on your device. Your saved answers stay in this browser until you start again or clear them.
A K10 score tells you how much general distress you have been carrying over the past month. It doesn't separate anxiety from low mood, and it cannot tell you why things have felt hard. Two people with the same score can be going through very different things.
If your score was moderate or higher, please talk to a GP or another qualified health professional. That is especially true if things have been getting worse, if sleep or eating have changed a lot, or if you are struggling to get through the day. Taking your score along can make it easier to start the conversation.
Counselling is one option some people choose for talking about what has been piling up, alongside medical support where it is needed. I am a trainee person-centred counsellor working under supervision, and I don't diagnose or treat mental health conditions. If the strain comes from things like loneliness abroad, following a partner's job or family duty, you can read more there, or see how I work.
How the K10 score works
10 questions, scored by adding up your answers. These are the score ranges this page uses to describe your result. Where the questionnaire's authors publish official cut-offs, the ranges follow them; the sources are listed below.
| Score | Range |
|---|---|
| Low | 10 to 15 |
| Moderate | 16 to 21 |
| High | 22 to 29 |
| Very high | 30 to 50 |
About this questionnaire
Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) by Ronald C. Kessler and colleagues (2003).
Kessler, R. C., Barker, P. R., Colpe, L. J., Epstein, J. F., Gfroerer, J. C., Hiripi, E., Howes, M. J., Normand, S.-L. T., Manderscheid, R. W., Walters, E. E., & Zaslavsky, A. M. (2003). Screening for serious mental illness in the general population. Archives of General Psychiatry, 60(2), 184–189. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.60.2.184
Used in line with the published terms of use.
Questions people ask
What does the K10 measure?
The K10 measures general psychological distress over the past 30 days: how often you have felt nervous, low, restless, hopeless, worthless or worn out. It does not test for a particular condition. It gives an overall picture of how much strain you have been under recently.
What is a normal K10 score?
On the 10 to 50 scoring used here, scores of 10 to 15 are usually described as low distress, 16 to 21 as moderate, 22 to 29 as high and 30 to 50 as very high. These bands come from an Australian population study and are a guide, not a diagnosis.
Can I use the K10 result to get help?
Yes, it can be a helpful starting point. Some people find it easier to say 'I did a questionnaire and scored quite high' than to describe everything from scratch. A GP or other qualified health professional can then ask the questions that a questionnaire can't.
Is my result saved?
No. The K10 here is scored in your browser. Your answers are not stored and are not sent to me or anyone else. They disappear when you close or refresh the page, so take a screenshot if you want to keep a record.
Sources
- Harvard Medical School, National Comorbidity Survey: K10 and K6 scales
- Harvard NCS: Scoring K6 and K10, frequently asked questions
- Kessler et al. (2003), Screening for serious mental illness in the general population
- Andrews and Slade (2001), Interpreting scores on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10)
- Samaritans: contact a Samaritan