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Cambridge Depersonalization Scale (CDS)3

Cambridge Depersonalization Scale (CDS) Test

Understand how strongly depersonalization affects you in about 10 minutes. This 58 item scale tracks symptom frequency and duration to support diagnosis and monitor treatment progress.

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Questions: 5810 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

26,592 views

2,020 completions

1,385 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

92/174

Duration (D)

Measures how long depersonalization episodes typically last, with higher scores reflecting longer-lasting experiences.

Short duration

Moderate duration

Long duration

0 – 58: Short duration | 59 – 116: Moderate duration | 117 – 174: Long duration

A score of 92 falls in the Moderate duration range, suggesting depersonalization experiences tend to last a noticeable but not the longest amount of time on this scale.

example score

68/116

Frequency (F)

Measures how often depersonalization experiences occur over the assessed period, with higher scores indicating more frequent episodes.

Low frequency

Moderate frequency

High frequency

0 – 38: Low frequency | 39 – 77: Moderate frequency | 78 – 116: High frequency

A score of 68 falls in the Moderate frequency range, suggesting depersonalization experiences occur fairly often during the assessed period.

example score

133/290

Depersonalization Scale (DS)

Measures the severity of depersonalization symptoms by quantifying how often and how long experiences of detachment or unfamiliarity with self and surroundings occur.

Below threshold

Elevated

0 – 70: Below threshold | 71 – 290: Elevated

A score of 133 falls in the Elevated range, indicating a higher-than-threshold level of depersonalization-related experiences as captured by this scale.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

People feeling unreal

41%OF USERS

They take it to check how often they feel detached from themselves, like watching life from the outside or not recognizing their own thoughts and body.

Anxiety and panic sufferers

34%OF USERS

They use it to sort out whether intense stress, panic, or burnout is linked to depersonalization-like episodes and how long these episodes last.

Clients in therapy monitoring

25%OF USERS

They take it during counseling or psychiatric care to track symptom severity over time and see whether treatment is helping.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Duration (D)

Average

Normal range

15.5 — 72.4

min.

max.

174

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Frequency (F)

Average

Normal range

54.9 — 89.2

min.

max.

116

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Depersonalization Scale (DS)

Average

98.3

Normal range

45.7 — 151

min.

max.

290

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

This questionnaire describes unusual and “odd” experiences that can occur in the general population. The assessment focuses on: (a) frequency—that is, how often you have had these experiences during the past six months; and (b) their approximate duration. For each item, select the response options that best apply to you. If you are unsure, provide your most accurate estimate.

- Never
- Frequency: Rarely
- Frequency: Often
- Frequency: Very often
- Frequency: All the time
- Never
- Duration: A few seconds
- Duration: A few minutes
- Duration: A few hours
- Duration: About a day
- Duration: More than a day
- Duration: More than a week
- Never
- Frequency: Rarely
- Frequency: Often
- Frequency: Very often
- Frequency: All the time

These are 3 of the 58 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

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WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Cambridge Depersonalization Scale (CDS) Test - Symptoms and Signs

depersonalization

psychopathology

The measure is a self-report instrument designed to assess depersonalization experiences. The Cambridge Depersonalization Scale (CDS) asks respondents to rate the frequency and duration of commonly reported symptoms involving detachment from self and altered self-perception.

It contains 58 items and typically takes about 10 minutes to complete. Item responses are intended to support clinical characterization of symptom severity and monitoring of change over time in clinical or research settings.

The Cambridge Depersonalization Scale (CDS) is most appropriately interpreted in conjunction with clinical interview and relevant diagnostic assessment, particularly when dissociative symptoms may overlap with anxiety, trauma-related, mood, or psychotic-spectrum presentations. It was described by Jeffrey Abugel and Daphne Simeon.

Author: Daphne Simeon, Jeffrey Abugel

Literature: Holmes, E. A., Brown, R. J., Mansell, W., Fearon, R. P., Hunter, E. C. M., Frasquilho, F., & Oakley, D. A. Are there two qualitatively distinct forms of depersonalization? A review and evaluation of the evidence. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. 2005.; Sierra, M., & Berrios, G. E. The Cambridge Depersonalisation Scale: a new instrument for the measurement of depersonalisation. Psychiatry Research. 2000.