Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10)
10-item psychological distress screening (Kessler et al., 2002)
The K10 was developed by Kessler at Harvard Medical School (2002). One of the most widely used psychological distress screening tools globally. Used in WHO World Mental Health Surveys. 10 questions, 3 minutes. Measures non-specific psychological distress. Reliability: Cronbach alpha = 0.92-0.93.
Scoring Guide
Score range: 10-50. Each item scored 1 (None of the time) to 5 (All of the time). Sum all items for total score. Higher scores indicate greater psychological distress.
Clinical cutoffs (Kessler et al., 2003):
- 10-15: Low distress
- 16-21: Mild distress
- 22-29: Moderate distress
- 30-50: Severe distress
K10 has excellent psychometric properties: Cronbach alpha = 0.92-0.93. At cutoff 22+, sensitivity = 0.83, specificity = 0.86 for past-year affective disorders.
Result Interpretation
After completing the 10 questions, you'll receive an immediate, detailed report with:
- Your score — calculated automatically based on your responses
- Score interpretation — what your score means in practical terms
- Context — how your results compare to general population norms where available
All results are displayed instantly on screen. No account, email, or login required.