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Categories: Assessment , Health & Fitness , Psychology
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Psychological distress describes the frequency and intensity of negative emotions that disrupt thought, motivation, and energy. The internationally accepted Kessler 10 (K10) condenses this broad construct into ten plain-language items capturing tiredness, nervousness, hopelessness, restlessness, depressed mood, and worthlessness experienced during the previous four weeks, enabling quick yet evidence-based screening in community and clinical settings.

Each answer carries a 1–5 value. The tool’s reactive engine sums the ten values, plots your total on a half-donut charting layer, and classifies severity using empirically validated bands: Low, Mild, Moderate, or Severe. Because higher totals reflect greater distress, the millisecond feedback helps you decide whether self-care, brief support, or professional assessment suits your situation.

Before a performance review or after a demanding project, a team leader can distribute the link so employees privately gauge distress, jot reflections, and arrive prepared for a supportive conversation about workload or leave options. The scale guides awareness but never prescribes treatment. Results do not constitute a clinical diagnosis.

Technical Details:

The K10 is a short self-report instrument developed by Ronald Kessler that estimates non-specific psychological distress. It assumes each of its ten items taps a common latent factor, so a simple unweighted sum suffices to approximate severity. Research shows robust correlation with anxiety and mood-disorder diagnoses across cultures, making it a practical triage screen in primary care, population surveys, and workplace programs.

S= ∑ i=1 ri
Where ri is the numeric response to item i (1 = None … 5 = All of the time).
Severity BandScore RangeImplication
Low10 – 19Typical fluctuations; self-care usually adequate.
Mild20 – 24Early signs; consider lifestyle adjustments or brief support.
Moderate25 – 29Noticeable interference; professional guidance recommended.
Severe30 – 50High distress; prompt clinical assessment advised.

Scores map to the four bands above. Movement between bands over time signals worsening or improvement and guides escalation decisions.

  • ri – selected numeric weight for item i (1–5).
  • S – total score (10–50).
  • No weighting between items; assumes equal contribution.
  • Captures distress over the preceding four weeks only.
  • Self-report bias can under- or over-state severity.
  • Does not identify specific disorders.
  • All items left blank produces an invalid score.
  • Uniform “5” responses cap at 50 but may still understate crisis.
  • Misinterpretation of time frame skews accuracy.
  • Scores near cut-offs should not determine service eligibility alone.

Validation studies in Psychological Medicine and Journal of Affective Disorders report K10 sensitivities above 0.80 for mood-disorder detection; critiques note lower specificity in adolescents.

No personal identifiers are required; the calculation is client-side and thus outside GDPR or HIPAA transfer provisions.

Step-by-Step Guide:

Complete the self-check in sequence or jump between questions as needed.

  1. Press Begin Assessment to reveal the first item.
  2. Select the statement that best matches your experience for each question.
  3. Watch the progress bar reach 100 %. Unanswered items are flagged in the list.
  4. After all ten answers are selected, review your score and severity badge.
  5. Print or save the summary if you plan to discuss it with a professional.

FAQ:

Is my data stored?

No. Responses stay in your browser and vanish when you close or refresh the page.

What if I skip a question?

The score cannot be calculated until all ten items receive a response. Skipped items turn yellow to prompt completion.

Can I retake the test?

Yes. Restart anytime to obtain a fresh score and track changes over weeks.

How often should I use it?

Weekly or monthly use is typical; daily repetition may inflate awareness without added benefit.

Is it suitable for teenagers?

Research suggests reduced specificity in younger populations; pair results with age-appropriate clinical guidance.

Glossary:

Psychological Distress
General emotional discomfort that impairs daily functioning.
Kessler 10 (K10)
Ten-item questionnaire measuring distress over four weeks.
Severity Band
Category describing the seriousness of distress based on total score.
Self-Report
Assessment relying on the respondent’s own perceptions and honesty.
Latent Factor
Hidden variable inferred from related observed variables.