How severe is your anxiety?
Scale questionnaires can indicate how severe symptoms are at present.
The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, 21 (DASS-21) is one such assessment.
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It asks about the clients experience over the past week.
Each subscale contains seven items, and the provider scores the measure by totaling the clients responses.
Additionally, some clients might be more forthcoming about their symptoms in writing rather than face-to-face with the provider.
Understanding Depression
The DASS-21 measuresdepressionusing the Depression subscale.
The anxiety questions include anxiety related to specific situations, muscle tension, and anxious distress.
Understanding Stress
Like the other subscales, theStresssubscale on the DASS-21 contains seven questions.
The stress scale queries for difficulty relaxing, nervousness, irritability, and impatience.
Due to the length, it can be completed in five to 10 minutes.
If you are completing the DASS-21, take a stab at answer with your gut.
Scores in the normal range suggest that the individual is not struggling with depression, anxiety, or stress.
Higher scores can indicate if the clients current symptoms are mild, moderate,severe, or extremely severe.
Although the DASS-21 provides subscale scores, Dr. Dabbs noted that the total score can also be useful.
He shared: I believe it conceptually works best to use the total score.
No piece of data is useful in isolation.
Any provider who uses the DASS-21 still needs to directly communicate with clients about mental health and potential symptoms.
Finally, the DASS-21 does not ask aboutsuicidal ideationor thoughts of self-harm.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor.
If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
It can normalize discussion of the difficulties an individual is experiencing and helpde-stigmatizethe conversation around mental health.
If you have concerns about your mental health, help is available.
Your primary doctor can help you figure out what support you need and how to access it.
you might also use adirectoryto find a therapist.
Remember, there is no minimum amount of difficulty that you have to reach.
World Health Organization.Depressive Disorder (Depression).
World Health Organization.Anxiety Disorders.
The American Institute of Stress.Causes & Sources of Stress.
& Lovibond, P.F.
Manual for the Depression Anxiety & Stress Scales.
)Sydney: Psychology Foundation.
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