Self-Assessments

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DASS-21

The DASS-21 is a clinical assessment that measures the three related states of depression, anxiety and stress. It has 21 questions and takes about 3 minutes to complete.

Instructions

Please read each statement and select a number 0, 1, 2 or 3 that indicates how much the statement applied to you over the past week. There are no right or wrong answers. Do not spend too much time on any statement, but please answer each question.

Disclaimer

This assessment does not itself indicate a diagnosis. To determine any potential diagnosis, discuss your results with your doctor or a qualified mental health provider. Your results will be anonymous.

The rating scale is as follows:

  • 0: Did not apply to me at all
  • 1: Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time
  • 2: Applied to me to a considerable degree, or a good part of time
  • 3: Applied to me very much, or most of the time

I found it hard to wind down

I was aware of dryness of my mouth

I couldn’t seem to experience any positive feeling at all

I experienced breathing difficulty (e.g., excessively rapid breathing, breathlessness in the absence of physical exertion)

I found it difficult to work up the initiative to do things

I tended to over-react to situations

I experienced trembling (e.g., in the hands)

I felt that I was using a lot of nervous energy

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

I felt that I had nothing to look forward to

I found myself getting agitated

I found it difficult to relax

I felt down-hearted and blue

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

I felt I was close to panic

I was unable to become enthusiastic about anything

I felt I wasn’t worth much as a person

I felt that I was rather touchy

I was aware of the action of my heart in the absence of physical exertion (e.g., sense of heart rate increase, heart missing a beat)

I felt scared without any good reason

I felt that life was meaningless

What the results mean: The DASS-21 quantifies distress along the dimensions of depression, anxiety, and stress. It does not give a clinical diagnosis. Depression and anxiety have ranges of severity and the DASS-21 describes these ranges. For example, someone scoring a “mild” result has more symptoms than is average in the population but is probably still below the typical severity of someone seeking help (i.e. “mild” does not mean a mild level of disorder).

If you are in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a free, 24-hour hotline, at 1.800.273.8255. If your issue is an emergency, call 911 immediately or go to your nearest emergency room. Employee and Family Resources (EFR) is also available at 800-327-4692.

Maddox

Student Assistance Program (SAP) & Outpatient Counseling

Maddox*, an elementary-aged student, struggled with anger outbursts, physical aggression, and difficulties with problem-solving. After spending years off-and-on in therapy seeking treatment with various providers only to remark that “none seemed to want to listen,” Maddox’s parents sought SAP services through their district. 

Today, Maddox is completing his SAP sessions and moving towards outpatient counseling. He has reduced his anger outbursts and has learned skills to help him successfully navigate challenging days.

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