Home
Psychological tests
Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21)

Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) Test

Understand your levels of depression, anxiety, and stress in about 4 minutes. A brief 21 item check-in delivers clear, reliable results for screening and tracking over time.

Start Online Test

Questions: 214 minutes

Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

28,084 views

4,955 completions

2,504 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

11/21

Depression (D)

Measures the severity of depressive experiences such as dysphoria, hopelessness, self-deprecation, apathy, and reduced pleasure over the past week.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 6: Low | 7 – 13: Moderate | 14 – 21: High

A score of 11 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable level of depressive symptoms on this scale.

example score

7/21

Anxiety (A)

Assesses autonomic arousal, muscle tension, situational anxiety, and the subjective experience of anxious states over the past week.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 6: Low | 7 – 9: Moderate | 10 – 21: High

A score of 7 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting noticeable anxiety-related symptoms compared with lower scores.

example score

9/21

Stress (S)

Measures stress-related nonspecific arousal, including difficulty relaxing, nervous tension, and irritability over the past week.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 9: Low | 10 – 16: Moderate | 17 – 21: High

A score of 9 falls in the Low range, suggesting relatively mild stress-related tension and irritability compared with higher scores.

Start Online Test

just completed the test

DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Feeling overwhelmed lately

41%OF USERS

People who have noticed persistent low mood, worry, or tension in the past week and want a quick snapshot of what’s going on.

In therapy or counseling

34%OF USERS

Clients who use a brief questionnaire to track depression, anxiety, and stress levels over time and discuss results with a professional.

Clinicians and researchers screening

25%OF USERS

Professionals who need a fast, standardized way to screen groups or monitor symptoms in clinical or study settings.

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

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly

Your scores across each test scale are translated into plain, usable insights. You won’t just get numbers — you’ll learn how your results impact your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.

AI-Powered
Interpretation

You’ll receive a structured, clinically-grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation, without exaggerated language.

Statistical
Comparison

See how your results compare to others. Anonymized platform data is used to create a percentile scale, which identifies whether your results are typical.

Practical
Recommendations

You’ll receive clear, actionable guidance tailored to your profile. These easy-to-implement suggestions focus on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

AI-Powered
Insights

Get insights on behavioral and thought patterns you might not notice on your own. By uncovering subtle connections between your responses, you’ll better understand what may be driving your current results.

Discuss with
an AI Therapist

Clarify, reflect, and explore your results right away. Talk through your experience, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue.

Start Online Test

Used in 52+ countries

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.

Depression (D)

Average

Normal range

10.2 — 15.7

min.

max.

Majority

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.

Anxiety (A)

Average

12.2

Normal range

8.9 — 15.6

min.

max.

Majority

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.

Stress (S)

Average

11.5

Normal range

8.8 — 14.2

min.

max.

Majority

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.

Start Online Test

Featured On

CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It measures current levels of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. Scores reflect distress over the past week.

How long does it take to complete and how many items are included?

It includes 21 items and usually takes about 4 minutes to complete.

What time period should be used when answering?

Each item should be rated based on how much it applied during the past week. Use the most typical experience for that period.

How should the response options be selected?

Choose the option that best matches the frequency or severity of each symptom. Do not spend time trying to make answers consistent across items.

How should the results be interpreted?

Results provide separate severity scores for depression, anxiety, and stress. They do not establish a diagnosis and should be reviewed alongside clinical information when used for care.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, DASS-21 Test

Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) Test - Symptoms and Signs

depression anxiety disorder stress level

This self-report measure provides a brief screening of common negative emotional states. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) assesses symptom severity across depression, anxiety, and stress domains over the past week.

The instrument consists of 21 items and is typically completed in about 4 minutes. Items are rated on a Likert-type frequency/severity scale, yielding separate subscale scores that can be used to characterize current distress and support monitoring over time. It is not intended to serve as a standalone diagnostic tool; results should be interpreted in the context of clinical interview and other relevant information.

Originally developed by P. F. Lovibond and S. H. Lovibond, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) is commonly used in both clinical and research settings to support screening, symptom tracking, and treatment planning.

Author: P. F. Lovibond, S. H. Lovibond

Literature: Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., & Brown, G. K. Manual for the Beck Depression Inventory–II. Psychological Corporation. 1996.; Lovibond, S. H., & Lovibond, P. F. Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. Psychology Foundation. 1995.

Test Question Form

This self-report measure is used to assess narcissism as a personality trai…

Start Test

Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS)

This measure is used to rapidly quantify the current severity of obsessive…

Start Test

CRAFFT Screening Test (CRAFFT 2.1)

This brief screening measure is designed to identify potential alcohol and…

Start Test

Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)

This measure is commonly used to quickly screen for the presence and severi…

Start Test