Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10)

The Kessler psychological distress scale (K10) is a widely used, simple self-report measure of psychological distress which can be used to identify those in need of further assessment for anxiety and depression. This measure was designed for use in the general population; however, it may also serve as a useful clinical tool.

The K10 comprises 10 questions that are answered using a five-point scale (where 5 = all of the time, and 1 = none of the time). For all questions, the client circles the answer truest for them in the past four weeks. Scores are then summed with the maximum score of 50 indicating severe distress, and the minimum score of 10 indicating no distress.

The 2000 Collaborative Health and Well-Being Survey were used to test reliability of the K10. The ending kappa and weighted kappa scores ranged from 0.42 to 0.74, indicating that the K10 is a moderately reliable instrument. Although supplementary research on the clinical cut-off times and the scoring are needed to determine psychological distress, the K10 is a brief, simple, and reliable instrument to detect mental health conditions in the population.