The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) is a 21-item short form developed by Lovibond and Lovibond (1995) that measures three related negative emotional states: depression, anxiety, and stress. It asks about the past week using a 0-3 frequency scale, with 7 items per subscale. Source: DASS official site (UNSW).
How to use it: Answer for the last week, not overall. Each subscale is scored separately, then multiplied by 2 to approximate the full-scale scores.
Reading your score: The bands describe severity of each state over the past week. They are guides to frequency and intensity, not diagnoses.
Limitations: The DASS-21 is a self-report screening tool. Scores reflect the past week and can shift quickly. It is not a substitute for a clinical diagnosis.
When to seek help: If depression, anxiety, or stress scores are moderate or higher, or if you are worried, consider a mental health professional. If you ever feel you might harm yourself, contact 988 (US) right away.
Related: Our PHQ-9 Mood Self-Check and GAD-7 Anxiety Test.