Mood
Mood, anxiety and stress
21 questions · 6 min
This questionnaire gives you three separate scores: one for low mood, one for anxiety (especially how it shows up in your body) and one for stress and tension. It looks at the past week only.
Seeing the three side by side can help you understand what’s weighing on you most. It’s not a diagnosis, and scores can change quickly from week to week.
Taking tests is free. Your results unlock with a free 7-day trial.
What it shows
How much low mood, anxiety and stress you’ve felt over the past week, as three separate scores.
What it doesn’t
A diagnosis. Only a professional can assess depression or anxiety.
Who it’s for
This is for you if you know you’re not feeling great but can’t tell whether it’s mostly low mood, anxiety or stress. Seeing three scores side by side can help you put words to it, for yourself or when you talk to a doctor.
Because it looks only at the past week, it’s also useful for tracking how things change. Retaking it every couple of weeks shows how your scores move, for example through a busy period at work or while you try changes to your routine.
Questions people ask
What does the DASS-21 measure?
Three things over the past week: low mood (such as feeling flat or having nothing to look forward to), anxiety (especially physical signs like a dry mouth, trembling or a racing heart) and stress (feeling tense, wound up or easily irritated).
How long does it take?
About six minutes. There are 21 short statements, and you choose how much each one applied to you over the past week.
How is it scored?
Each statement scores 0 to 3. The seven statements for each area are added up and doubled, so they line up with the longer 42-question version, giving each score a range of 0 to 42. Each score is then placed in a band from few signs to very high, using published cut-offs that differ for low mood, anxiety and stress.
Is this a diagnosis?
No. It shows how much low mood, anxiety and stress you’ve felt lately, but only a doctor or other professional can assess depression or anxiety.
How often can I retake it?
Every two weeks works well. Because it covers only the past week, scores can change quickly, so the trend tells you more than any single result.
What if my scores are high, or I’m struggling?
A doctor or therapist can help you understand what’s been weighing on you and what might help, and talking to someone you trust is a good start too. If you might hurt yourself, call your local emergency number now; free, confidential helplines: findahelpline.com.
Where it comes from
Developed by psychologists Peter Lovibond and Syd Lovibond at the University of New South Wales in 1995.
Depression Anxiety Stress Scales
On iPhone or iPad?
Sprout is an app there too, and this link opens the test straight away if you have it.
Coming soon to the App Store