Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) Test

With 22 questions and an estimated five-minute completion time, the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) Test helps caregivers reflect on emotional strain, uncertainty, resources, and the wider impact of providing care. Your profile can highlight areas of burden and support clearer self-understanding about the caregiving experience.

Questions: 225 minutes

Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI): situation and reply bubbles

October 2, 2025October 2, 2025Material has been updatedOctober 2, 2025Material has been published

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Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

Self-Criticism About Caregiving And BurdenSCACAB

Measures the degree of self-criticism, guilt, or dissatisfaction a caregiver feels about leaving the person and about the workload of caregiving.

example score3/4

3/4Moderateexample score

0 – 1Low

2 – 3Moderate

4High

A score of 3 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting noticeable self-criticism or guilt about caregiving demands, though not at the highest intensity on this scale.

UncertaintyU

Measures the caregiver’s anxiety about the future and uncertainty about their role in the caregiving process.

example score2/4

2/4Moderate uncertaintyexample score

0 – 1Low uncertainty

2 – 3Moderate uncertainty

4High uncertainty

A score of 2 suggests a moderate level of uncertainty, reflecting noticeable worries about what lies ahead and some lack of clarity in the caregiving role.

Emotional StrainES

Measures the caregiver’s negative emotional reactions and stress experienced while providing care.

example score2/4

2/4Moderate strainexample score

0 – 1Low strain

2 – 3Moderate strain

4High strain

A score of 2 indicates a moderate level of emotional strain, suggesting noticeable stress or emotional fatigue in the caregiving role.

Patient-Caregiver InterdependencePCI

Measures the degree to which caregiving is driven by the patient’s lack of autonomy and restricts the caregiver’s personal freedom.

example score3/4

3/4Moderate interdependenceexample score

0 – 1Low interdependence

2 – 3Moderate interdependence

4High interdependence

A score of 3 indicates moderate patient–caregiver interdependence, suggesting notable limits on personal freedom due to the patient’s need for assistance.

Perceived Resource DeficitPRD

Measures the caregiver’s perceived lack of personal resources (financial, physical, and social) needed to provide care.

example score2/4

2/4Moderate scarcityexample score

0 – 1Low scarcity

2 – 3Moderate scarcity

4High scarcity

A score of 2 indicates a moderate perception of resource scarcity, suggesting the caregiver sometimes feels limited in the support, energy, or finances available for caregiving.

Family Burden SeverityFBS

Measures the overall intensity of stress and strain a caregiver experiences in relation to family caregiving responsibilities.

example score18/88

18/88Low burdenexample score

0 – 20Low burden

21 – 40Moderate burden

41 – 88High to severe burden

A score of 18 falls in the Low burden range, suggesting relatively limited overall caregiver strain at this time.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Family primary caregivers

46%OF USERS

Spouses, parents, or siblings caring for a relative with schizophrenia use it to gauge stress, exhaustion, and daily-life impact.

Mental health clinicians

34%OF USERS

Psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers administer it to identify caregiver strain and plan targeted support.

Research study participants

20%OF USERS

Caregivers enrolled in clinical or community studies take it to provide standardized data on burden over time.

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.

Shaded area — where most people score

Dot — the average

You — your score lands on each curve after the test— your score, after the test

Self-criticism about leaving and workloadSalaw

You?

Average1.8

Typical rangeTypical1.1 – 2.5

Possible0 – 4

UncertaintyU

You?

Average3

Typical rangeTypical2.3 – 3.6

Possible0 – 4

Emotional TensionET

You?

Average2.9

Typical rangeTypical2.3 – 3.6

Possible0 – 4

Interdependence of patient/caregiverIop

You?

Average2.9

Typical rangeTypical2.3 – 3.5

Possible0 – 4

Perception of resource scarcityPors

You?

Average1.1

Typical rangeTypical0.6 – 1.7

Possible0 – 4

Intensity of Family BurdenIoFB

You?

Average65.8

Typical rangeTypical52.7 – 78.8

Possible0 – 88

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

- 0: Never
- 1: Rarely
- 2: Sometimes
- 3: Often
- 4: Nearly always
- 0: Never
- 1: Rarely
- 2: Sometimes
- 3: Often
- 4: Nearly always
- 0: Never
- 1: Rarely
- 2: Sometimes
- 3: Often
- 4: Nearly always

These are 3 of the 22 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) Test - Description and methodology of the test

attitude towards illness

schizophrenia

People who provide regular help to an ill, aging, or dependent relative can use this caregiver burden assessment to examine how care affects daily life and personal well-being. The Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) Test organizes experiences such as reduced privacy, strained relationships, worry, anger, and financial pressure into a structured profile. It suits caregivers seeking clearer self-reflection about their current situation.

What This Assessment Measures

Items cover dependence, privacy, relationships, health, emotions, uncertainty, and resources. This caregiver stress questionnaire maps pressures onto six dimensions.

Six dimensions follow:

Self-Criticism About Caregiving And Burden (0-4) shows self-criticism; bands Low 0-1, Moderate 2-3, High 4-4.
Uncertainty (0-4) shows worry; bands Low uncertainty 0-1, Moderate uncertainty 2-3, High uncertainty 4-4.
Emotional Strain (0-4) shows negative reactions; bands Low strain 0-1, Moderate strain 2-3, High strain 4-4.
Patient-Caregiver Interdependence (0-4) shows dependence; bands Low interdependence 0-1, Moderate interdependence 2-3, High interdependence 4-4.
Perceived Resource Deficit (0-4) shows shortages; bands Low scarcity 0-1, Moderate scarcity 2-3, High scarcity 4-4.
Family Burden Severity (0-88) shows burden; bands Low burden 0-20, Moderate burden 21-40, High to severe burden 41-88.

Methodology and Evidence Base

Each question uses five ordered frequency responses from Never to Nearly always; the fourth option's wording varies slightly, appearing as Often, Frequently, or Quite frequently. The format asks how regularly caregiving situations are experienced, and the Zarit burden scale profile summarizes responses across the displayed dimensions.

The questionnaire is conceptually consistent with the Zarit Burden Interview and with the family-caregiving burden study by Zarit, Reever, and Bach-Peterson. Bédard and colleagues describe later short and screening versions. These publications do not make this online form identical to those versions.

The questionnaire does not specify how individual responses are weighted or combined to produce the displayed results. The profile is context-dependent, shaped by current circumstances, honest self-report, and self-awareness, so it can help identify pressures that deserve closer reflection.

Author: Joseph Bach-Peterson, Judy M. Reever, Steven H. Zarit

Literature:

Zarit, S. H., Orr, N. K., & Zarit, J. M. (1985). The Hidden Victims of Alzheimer's Disease: Families Under Stress. New York University Press.
Zarit, S. H., Reever, K. E., & Bach-Peterson, J. (1980). Relatives of the Impaired Elderly: Correlates of Feelings of Burden. The Gerontologist, 20(6), 649-655. 10.1093/geront/20.6.649
Bédard, M., Molloy, D. W., Squire, L., Dubois, S., Lever, J. A., & O'Donnell, M. (2001). The Zarit Burden Interview: A new short version and screening version. The Gerontologist, 41(5), 652-657. 10.1093/geront/41.5.652

Updated: 2025-10-02