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Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire-5 (SDQ-5)3

Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire-5 (SDQ-5) Test

Helps clarify whether unexplained physical symptoms may relate to dissociation from stress or trauma in about 1 minute. Five quick items support triage and guide next steps for care.

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Questions: 51 minute

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

22,034 views

1,439 completions

1,133 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

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How the Scales are Structured

example score

21/25

Somatoform Dissociation Scale (SDQ-5) (SDS5)

Assesses the severity of somatoform dissociative symptoms reflected in medically unexplained or stress-linked bodily experiences.

Low

Clinically significant

5 – 10: Low | 11 – 25: Clinically significant

A score of 21 falls in the clinically significant range, indicating a high level of somatoform dissociative symptoms.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Unexplained physical symptoms

41%OF USERS

People with recurring numbness, weakness, pain, or other “neurological” complaints that doctors can’t fully explain use it to check whether stress or trauma may be involved.

Trauma and dissociation concerns

34%OF USERS

Those with a history of trauma or high stress who notice feeling detached, “shut down,” or unlike themselves take it to see if these experiences show up in the body.

Therapy or counseling clients

25%OF USERS

People already in psychotherapy or medical counseling use it as a quick screening to decide whether deeper assessment of dissociation is needed.

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

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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.

Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ-5) (SDQ()

Average

13.6

Normal range

10.5 — 16.6

min.

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

Below is a list of various physical symptoms or bodily sensations that you may have experienced either briefly or over a longer period of time. Please indicate the extent to which these experiences applied to you during the past year.

- Not at all
- A little
- Moderately
- Strongly
- Very strongly
- Not at all
- A little
- Moderately
- Strongly
- Very strongly
- Not at all
- A little
- Moderately
- Quite a lot
- Very much

These are 3 of the 5 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

Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire-5 (SDQ-5) Test - Symptoms and Signs

dissociation

This brief self-report measure is used to screen for somatoform manifestations of dissociation in clinical and research settings. The Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire-5 (SDQ-5) asks respondents to rate the frequency of selected bodily or sensory experiences that may reflect disruptions in the integration of awareness, memory, or identity.

Developed by Ellert R. S. Nijenhuis, it contains 5 items and typically takes about 1 minutes to complete. Scores are intended to support clinical formulation and to help determine whether more comprehensive assessment of dissociative symptoms may be warranted; the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire-5 (SDQ-5) is not designed to establish a medical or psychiatric diagnosis on its own.

Author: Ellert R. S. Nijenhuis

Literature: Briere, J., & Scott, C. The principles of trauma therapy: A guide to symptoms, evaluation, and treatment. SAGE Publications. 2015.; Friedman, M. J., Keane, T. M., & Resick, P. A. (Eds.). Handbook of PTSD: Science and practice. Guilford Press. 2014.; Nijenhuis, E. R., Spinhoven, P., van Dyck, R., van der Hart, O., & Vanderlinden, J. The development and psychometric characteristics of the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ-20). The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. 1996.; Nijenhuis, E. R., Spinhoven, P., van Dyck, R., van der Hart, O., & Vanderlinden, J. The development of the somatoform dissociation questionnaire (SDQ-5) as a screening instrument for dissociative disorders. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. 1997.