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DASS-21 Test: Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales Self-Assessment

Update Date 

September 24th, 2026

Author 

Anxiety Checklist Editorial Team
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In short

The DASS-21 measures depression, anxiety and stress as three separate scores, using 21 statements about the past week. It takes about five minutes; each scale is doubled to a 0–42 score and rated from normal to extremely severe using the official ranges.

Key takeaways

  • Each of the three scales has seven statements scored from 0 to 3.
  • Scale totals are multiplied by two so they match the full 42-item DASS.
  • Depression, anxiety and stress each have their own severity ranges.
  • The anxiety scale focuses on physical arousal such as a racing heart or trembling.
  • It is in the public domain and free to use, with a printable PDF.

Free self-assessment

Take the DASS-21

Twenty-one short statements about the past week, and three separate scores: depression, anxiety and stress. A good choice when you are not sure whether what you feel is worry, low mood or overload.

Questions
21
Time
5–7 min
Covers
Past week
Scores
3 × 0–42
Start the testDownload the printable PDF

A screening tool, not a diagnosis. Your scores are calculated in your browser and your answers are not stored.

DASS-21 Test

Question 1: I found it hard to wind down

Question 2: I was aware of dryness of my mouth

Question 3: I couldn't seem to experience any positive feeling at all

Question 4: I experienced breathing difficulty (eg, excessively rapid breathing, breathlessness in the absence of physical exertion)

Question 5: I found it difficult to work up the initiative to do things

Question 6: I tended to over-react to situations

Question 7: I experienced trembling (eg, in the hands)

Question 8: I felt that I was using a lot of nervous energy

Question 9: I was worried about situations in which I might panic and make a fool of myself

Question 10: I felt that I had nothing to look forward to

Question 11: I found myself getting agitated

Question 12: I found it difficult to relax

Question 13: I felt down-hearted and blue

Question 14: I was intolerant of anything that kept me from getting on with what I was doing

Question 15: I felt I was close to panic

Question 16: I was unable to become enthusiastic about anything

Question 17: I felt I wasn't worth much as a person

Question 18: I felt that I was rather touchy

Question 19: I was aware of the action of my heart in the absence of physical exertion (eg, sense of heart rate increase, heart missing a beat)

Question 20: I felt scared without any good reason

Question 21: I felt that life was meaningless

Who the DASS-21 is for

  • You feel "not yourself" but cannot tell whether it is anxiety, low mood or stress
  • You notice body symptoms such as a racing heart, trembling or breathlessness
  • You feel constantly on edge, irritable or unable to wind down
  • You want to follow depression, anxiety and stress side by side over time

What the DASS-21 measures

The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales were developed by Peter and Sydney Lovibond at the University of New South Wales. The full version has 42 items; the DASS-21 is its official short form, with seven statements for each scale. It is in the public domain.

Depression

Low mood, hopelessness, loss of interest, feeling that life is meaningless or that you are not worth much.

Anxiety

The body's alarm: dry mouth, breathlessness, trembling, a pounding heart, feeling close to panic.

Stress

Ongoing tension: difficulty relaxing, nervous energy, being easily agitated, touchy or over-reactive.

How the DASS-21 is scored

Each scale has seven statements scored 0 to 3. Add them and multiply by 2, so your scores line up with the full DASS: each scale then runs from 0 to 42. The severity ranges are those of the DASS manual:

SeverityDepressionAnxietyStress
Normal0–90–70–14
Mild10–138–915–18
Moderate14–2010–1419–25
Severe21–2715–1926–33
Extremely severe28+20+34+

Read each score in its own column

The scales use different ranges on purpose: a stress score of 14 is normal, while an anxiety score of 14 is moderate.

Reading your results

Most people score in more than one area, because the three states overlap. What matters is the shape: a high anxiety score points to the body's alarm system, a high stress score to tension and overload, a high depression score to low mood and loss of interest.

"Mild" and "moderate" mean your symptoms are above what most people report in a typical week. "Severe" and "extremely severe" mean they are well above it, and that support from a professional is a good idea.

What to do next

If anxiety is highest

  • Practise slow breathing, in for 4 and out for 6
  • Use a grounding exercise when you feel close to panic
  • Take the GAD-7 or OASIS for a closer look

If stress is highest

  • List what is on your plate and what can wait
  • Build short breaks and movement into your day
  • Protect your sleep first

If depression is highest

  • Plan one small, doable activity each day
  • Take the PHQ-9, the standard depression screen
  • Talk to a doctor if your score is moderate or above

When to get help

Any score in the severe or extremely severe range is a good reason to talk to a professional. If you ever feel unsafe, find a helpline near you.

How reliable is the DASS-21?

0.81correlation between the DASS anxiety scale and the Beck Anxiety InventoryLovibond & Lovibond, 1995
1,794UK adults in the study that confirmed its three-scale structureHenry & Crawford, 2005
0.74correlation between the DASS depression scale and the Beck Depression InventoryLovibond & Lovibond, 1995

The 21-item version performs as well as the 42-item original in both clinical groups and the community (Antony et al., 1998).

Limitations

  • It measures how strong symptoms are, not which disorder someone has
  • The anxiety scale focuses on physical arousal, so worry-based anxiety shows up better on the GAD-7
  • Physical illness, some medicines and caffeine can raise the anxiety score

Scientific references

  1. Lovibond, P. F., & Lovibond, S. H. (1995). The structure of negative emotional states: comparison of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) with the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33(3), 335–343. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(94)00075-U
  2. Lovibond, S. H., & Lovibond, P. F. (1995). Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (2nd ed.). Sydney: Psychology Foundation of Australia. psy.unsw.edu.au/dass
  3. Henry, J. D., & Crawford, J. R. (2005). The short-form version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21): construct validity and normative data in a large non-clinical sample. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 44(2), 227–239. doi:10.1348/014466505X29657
  4. Antony, M. M., Bieling, P. J., Cox, B. J., Enns, M. W., & Swinson, R. P. (1998). Psychometric properties of the 42-item and 21-item versions of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales in clinical groups and a community sample. Psychological Assessment, 10(2), 176–181. doi:10.1037/1040-3590.10.2.176

Frequently asked questions

Why are DASS-21 scores multiplied by 2?

The DASS-21 is half of the 42-item DASS. Doubling puts each scale on the same 0–42 range as the full version, so the official severity ranges apply.

Is the DASS-21 free?

Yes. The DASS is in the public domain and can be used without permission.

What is the difference between stress and anxiety on the DASS?

Stress is ongoing tension: finding it hard to relax, being easily agitated or touchy. Anxiety is the body's alarm: a pounding heart, breathlessness, trembling, feeling close to panic.

Are my answers saved?

No. The test is scored in your browser; your answers are not sent to us or stored.

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