Kessler K6 Psychological Distress
Kessler K6 psychological distress scale (Kessler 2003): 6-item self-report of nonspecific distress over the past 30 days, each rated 0 (none of the time) to 4 (all of the time), summed to 0-24.
Open the calculator → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.
Example
- Nervous
- 3
- Hopeless
- 3
- Restless or fidgety
- 3
- So depressed nothing could cheer you up
- 2
- Everything was an effort
- 1
- Worthless
- 1
Result: K6 13 of 24 — probable serious mental illness (13-24).
The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.
What the result means
- Bands
- 0-4 low, 5-12 mild-to-moderate, 13-24 probable serious mental illness; higher = more distress.
What you enter
- Nervous (0-4)
- Hopeless (0-4)
- Restless or fidgety (0-4)
- So depressed nothing could cheer you up (0-4)
- Everything was an effort (0-4)
- Worthless (0-4)
How this is calculated
- Items
- six distress items each rated 0 (none of the time) to 4 (all of the time) = 0-24.
Kessler RC, Barker PR, Colpe LJ, et al. Screening for serious mental illness in the general population. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2003;60(2):184-189. Read the source ↗
A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.