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Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ)

Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) Test

Understand a child or teen’s recent mood and depression signs in about 3 minutes. Thirteen quick items give a clear first signal for next steps at school, clinic, or home.

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Questions: 133 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

27,849 views

3,272 completions

2,803 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

13/26

Depressive Symptoms Scale (DSS)

Measures the level of self-reported depressive symptoms in children and adolescents over the recent period.

Low

Clinically significant

0 – 10: Low | 11 – 26: Clinically significant

A score of 13 falls in the clinically significant range, indicating elevated depressive symptoms on this screening scale.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Parents with concerns

41%OF USERS

Parents or caregivers use it when a child seems persistently sad, withdrawn, irritable, or less interested in daily activities.

School support staff

34%OF USERS

School counselors, psychologists, or pastoral staff use it for a quick check-in when a student shows signs of low mood, stress, or changes in behavior.

Clinicians and researchers

25%OF USERS

Mental health professionals and research teams use it as a brief depression symptom screener to decide whether further assessment is needed.

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

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

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

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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.

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

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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.

Depressive Symptom Scale (DSS)

Average

8.3

Normal range

3.6 — 12.9

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.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It screens for symptoms linked to depressed mood in children and adolescents. It is used to flag whether further assessment may be needed.

Who can complete it?

It is intended for ages 7 to 18. A parent or caregiver version may be used when self-report is not appropriate.

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

It has 13 items and usually takes about 3 minutes to complete. Responses are based on recent feelings and behavior.

How should items be answered?

Select the option that best matches how things have been recently. Answer every item using the same time frame.

How should results be interpreted?

Scores indicate the level of reported symptoms but do not provide a diagnosis. Interpretation should consider setting, language version, and the need for follow-up when concerns are present.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) Test - Symptoms and Signs

depression

This brief self-report screening measure is designed to assess depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. The Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) is typically used to support early identification of mood-related concerns and to inform whether additional evaluation may be indicated.

Developed by Angold, A., it consists of 13 items and takes about 3 minutes to complete. Items ask about recent feelings and behaviors using a simple response format to support age-appropriate comprehension. The Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) is commonly used in clinical, school, and research settings as an initial symptom screen and should be interpreted within the broader clinical context, including developmental factors and other available sources of information.

Author: Angold, A.

Literature: Angold, A., Costello, E. J., Messer, S. C., Pickles, A., Winder, F., & Silver, D. Development of a short questionnaire for use in epidemiological studies of depression in children and adolescents. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research. 1995.

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