Free DASS-21 Test — Depression, Anxiety & Stress Scales Online
The DASS-21 (Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21) measures the severity of depression, anxiety, and stress over the past week across three independent 7-item subscales. Developed by Lovibond and Lovibond (1995) at UNSW and used globally in clinical and research settings. Each subscale produces a score with five severity levels — Normal through Extremely Severe. Complete 21 items, get instant bar chart results, and export a free printable PDF.
DASS-21 Scoring Thresholds (scores = raw × 2)
| Level | Depression | Anxiety | Stress |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | 0 – 9 | 0 – 7 | 0 – 14 |
| Mild | 10 – 13 | 8 – 9 | 15 – 18 |
| Moderate | 14 – 20 | 10 – 14 | 19 – 25 |
| Severe | 21 – 27 | 15 – 19 | 26 – 33 |
| Ext. Severe | 28+ | 20+ | 34+ |
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DASS-21 Scoring Reference
| Level | Depression | Anxiety | Stress |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | 0–9 | 0–7 | 0–14 |
| Mild | 10–13 | 8–9 | 15–18 |
| Moderate | 14–20 | 10–14 | 19–25 |
| Severe | 21–27 | 15–19 | 26–33 |
| Ext. Severe | 28+ | 20+ | 34+ |
Depression
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Anxiety
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Stress
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Academic Citation
Lovibond, P. F., & Lovibond, S. H. (1995). The structure of negative emotional states: Comparison of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) with the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33(3), 335–343. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7967(94)90128-7 Henry, J. D., & Crawford, J. R. (2005). The short-form version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21): Construct validity and normative data in a large non-clinical sample. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 44(2), 227–239.
How to Use This Free DASS-21 Test
Rate 21 statements
Rate how much each statement applied to you over the past week: 0 (not at all) to 3 (very much). Auto-saved throughout — never lose your progress.
Scores × 2
Raw subscale scores (0–21 each) are multiplied by 2 to produce final scores (0–42). This converts DASS-21 scores to the same scale as the original 42-item version, enabling comparison with normative data.
5 severity levels
Each subscale is classified as Normal, Mild, Moderate, Severe, or Extremely Severe using validated cut-off scores from Lovibond & Lovibond (1995) and Henry & Crawford (2005).
Export free PDF
Save your complete results — bar chart, three subscale scores with severity levels, and the scoring reference table — as a formatted PDF to share with a healthcare provider.
DASS-21 Test: Scoring Thresholds & Score Interpretation
The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) was developed by Lovibond and Lovibond (1995) at the University of New South Wales and is one of the most widely used psychological screening instruments globally. It is in the public domain — freely available for clinical, research, and educational use with no fees. The DASS-21 measures the severity of three related but distinct emotional states over the past seven days, producing three independent subscale scores.
DASS-21 Scoring: The Five Severity Levels
The DASS-21 uses five severity levels for each subscale, derived from Lovibond & Lovibond (1995) and validated by Henry & Crawford (2005). DASS-21 scores are calculated by summing raw subscale scores and multiplying by 2 (converting from the 21-item to 42-item scale). Depression thresholds: Normal (0–9), Mild (10–13), Moderate (14–20), Severe (21–27), Extremely Severe (28+). Anxiety thresholds: Normal (0–7), Mild (8–9), Moderate (10–14), Severe (15–19), Extremely Severe (20+). Stress thresholds: Normal (0–14), Mild (15–18), Moderate (19–25), Severe (26–33), Extremely Severe (34+).
Why Scores Are Multiplied by 2
The original DASS had 42 items (14 per subscale). The DASS-21 short form has 7 items per subscale. Multiplying by 2 converts DASS-21 raw scores back to the same scale as the full 42-item version, allowing direct comparison with established normative data and published reference ranges. This is why a raw DASS-21 Depression score of 5 becomes a final score of 10 — corresponding to the Mild range.
Depression vs Anxiety vs Stress: What Each Subscale Measures
The DASS-21 Depression subscale measures dysphoria, hopelessness, devaluation of life, self-deprecation, anhedonia, and lack of motivation — cognitive and emotional features of depressive states rather than physical symptoms. The Anxiety subscale measures autonomic arousal — physical symptoms including trembling, breathing difficulty, heart racing, sweating, and the fear of losing control. Critically, it does not measure the worry typical of GAD. The Stress subscale measures chronic non-specific arousal — difficulty relaxing, nervous energy, irritability, and impatience. The Anxiety vs Stress distinction is among the most clinically useful features of the DASS: someone can experience chronic stress without panic symptoms, or acute anxiety without background tension.
| Feature | DASS-21 | GAD-7 | PHQ-9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Measures | Depression + Anxiety + Stress | Anxiety only | Depression only |
| Items | 21 (3 subscales × 7) | 7 | 9 |
| Timeframe | Past 7 days | Past 14 days | Past 14 days |
| Severity levels | 5 (Normal → Ext. Severe) | 4 (Minimal → Severe) | 5 (Minimal → Severe) |
| License | Public domain — free | Public domain — free | Pfizer license — free for clinical use |