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Existential Crisis Experience Scale3

Existential Crisis Experience Scale Test

Understand how strongly you feel emptiness, disconnection, and loss of meaning in 7 minutes. A brief 36 item measure gives clear scores to pinpoint concerns and track progress in counseling or research.

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Questions: 367 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

31,017 views

3,069 completions

2,274 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

1/12

Despair, Suffering, and Guilt (DSaG)

Measures the intensity of hopelessness, emotional suffering, and guilt feelings that can accompany an existential crisis.

Low

Moderate

Elevated

-12 – -6: Low | -5 – 0: Moderate | 1 – 12: Elevated

A score of 1 falls in the Elevated range, suggesting some increased feelings of despair, emotional strain, or guilt, though not necessarily at a severe level.

example score

-7/12

Insecurity (I)

Measures the degree of felt vulnerability and defenselessness associated with limited perceived social support.

Low vulnerability

Moderate vulnerability

High vulnerability

-12 – -6: Low vulnerability | -5 – 0: Moderate vulnerability | 1 – 12: High vulnerability

A score of -7 falls in the Low vulnerability range, suggesting relatively little sense of defenselessness and a comparatively stable perception of support.

example score

-1/12

Loneliness (L)

Measures the degree of perceived separateness, isolation, and feeling misunderstood or undervalued by others.

Low loneliness

Moderate loneliness

High loneliness

-12 – -6: Low loneliness | -5 – 0: Moderate loneliness | 1 – 12: High loneliness

A score of -1 falls in the Moderate loneliness range, suggesting occasional feelings of being on a different wavelength from others without strong, persistent isolation.

example score

3/12

Dissatisfaction With One's Present Life (DWOPL)

Measures the degree of emotional dissatisfaction and rejection toward one’s current life circumstances across key domains such as relationships, work, finances, and personal interests.

Low dissatisfaction

Moderate dissatisfaction

Elevated dissatisfaction

-12 – -6: Low dissatisfaction | -5 – 0: Moderate dissatisfaction | 1 – 12: Elevated dissatisfaction

A score of 3 falls in the Elevated dissatisfaction range, suggesting notable aversion or discontent with the present situation in one or more life areas.

example score

9/12

Self-Dissatisfaction (SD)

Measures the degree of negative self-evaluation and dissatisfaction with oneself across perceived appearance, actions, and abilities.

Low dissatisfaction

Moderate dissatisfaction

High dissatisfaction

-12 – -6: Low dissatisfaction | -5 – 0: Moderate dissatisfaction | 1 – 12: High dissatisfaction

A score of 9 falls in the High dissatisfaction range, suggesting strong unpleasant perceptions about oneself and perceived difficulty meeting personal standards.

example score

7/12

Meaninglessness of Social Relationships (MoSR)

Measures the extent to which a person devalues close, trusting relationships and views social contact as unhelpful, unsafe, or lacking warmth and empathy.

Low

Moderate

High

-12 – -6: Low | -5 – 0: Moderate | 1 – 12: High

A score of 7 falls in the High range, suggesting a pronounced tendency to view social connections as lacking value and to perceive others as insufficiently warm or overly intrusive.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Feeling Empty and Stuck

41%OF USERS

People who feel persistent emptiness, lack of meaning, or emotional numbness and want to understand how intense it is.

Life Transition Questioners

34%OF USERS

Those facing big changes (breakup, burnout, graduation, relocation, loss) who are questioning their direction, values, or purpose.

Therapy and Progress Trackers

25%OF USERS

Clients in counseling or research participants who want clear numbers to monitor hopelessness, isolation, and life dissatisfaction 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.

Despair, suffering, and guilt (Dsag)

Average

-4.2

Normal range

-7.2 — -1.3

min.

-12

max.

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.

Vulnerability (V)

Average

-3.8

Normal range

-8.1 — 0.5

min.

-12

max.

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.

Loneliness (L)

Average

-1.7

Normal range

-4.8 — 1.3

min.

-12

max.

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.

Dissatisfaction with your present (Dwyp)

Average

-3.7

Normal range

-7.8 — 0.4

min.

-12

max.

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.

Dissatisfaction with Oneself (DwO)

Average

0.6

Normal range

-3.2 — 4.4

min.

-12

max.

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.

The Meaninglessness of Social Connections (TMoSC)

Average

5.8

Normal range

2.9 — 8.8

min.

-12

max.

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

- Strongly agree
- Somewhat agree
- Unsure
- Somewhat disagree
- Strongly disagree
- Strongly agree
- Somewhat agree
- Not sure
- Somewhat disagree
- Completely disagree
- Strongly agree
- Somewhat agree
- Unsure
- Somewhat disagree
- Strongly disagree

These are 3 of the 36 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

Existential Crisis Experience Scale Test - Symptoms and Signs

existential psychology

life crisis

This self-report instrument is designed to assess subjective features commonly associated with existential distress (e.g., perceived meaninglessness, emptiness, alienation, and related negative appraisals). The Existential Crisis Experience Scale provides a brief, structured method for quantifying these experiences in clinical or research settings.

The measure includes 36 items and typically requires about 7 minutes to complete. It yields quantitative indices that may help characterize the intensity and pattern of endorsed concerns and can be used to support screening and to monitor change over time; results should be interpreted in the context of clinical interview, history, and other assessment data.

The Existential Crisis Experience Scale is attributed to Irvin D. Yalom and James C. Coyne.

Author: Irvin D. Yalom, James C. Coyne

Literature: Yalom, I. D. Existential psychotherapy. Basic Books. 1980.