Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21)
A 21-item self-report measure of depression, anxiety and stress over the past week.
Last reviewed: May 2026
The DASS-21 is the short form of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, developed by Lovibond and Lovibond (1995) at the University of New South Wales. It measures the severity of three related but distinct negative emotional states over the past week: depression (low mood, anhedonia, hopelessness), anxiety (autonomic arousal, situational anxiety) and stress (tension, irritability, difficulty relaxing).
Scoring & Interpretation
Each item is rated 0 (did not apply to me at all) to 3 (applied to me very much, or most of the time) over the past week. Items are summed within each of the three subscales, giving a raw score of 0 to 21 per subscale. Each raw subscale score is then multiplied by two so that it can be compared against the original 42-item DASS severity bands, the convention published with the short form. Interpret the three doubled subscale scores separately against their own cut-offs; there is no single recommended total, though an overall distress figure (the sum of the doubled subscales, 0 to 126) is sometimes reported as a global index.
| Score Range | Severity | Clinical Action |
|---|---|---|
| 0–9 | Depression — Normal | Within normal range for low mood |
| 10–13 | Depression — Mild | Mild depressive symptoms — monitor over time |
| 14–20 | Depression — Moderate | At or above the moderate threshold — review and consider intervention |
| 21–27 | Depression — Severe | Severe range — prioritise assessment and supports |
| 28+ | Depression — Extremely Severe | Highest band — review risk and intensity of care |
| 0–7 | Anxiety — Normal | Within normal range for anxiety symptoms |
| 8–9 | Anxiety — Mild | Mild anxiety symptoms — monitor over time |
| 10–14 | Anxiety — Moderate | At or above the moderate threshold — review and consider intervention |
| 15–19 | Anxiety — Severe | Severe range — prioritise assessment and supports |
| 20+ | Anxiety — Extremely Severe | Highest band — review risk and intensity of care |
| 0–14 | Stress — Normal | Within normal range for tension and arousal |
| 15–18 | Stress — Mild | Mild stress symptoms — monitor over time |
| 19–25 | Stress — Moderate | At or above the moderate threshold — review and consider intervention |
| 26–33 | Stress — Severe | Severe range — prioritise assessment and supports |
| 34+ | Stress — Extremely Severe | Highest band — review risk and intensity of care |
The three subscales show good to excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha around 0.88 for Depression, 0.82 for Anxiety and 0.90 for Stress; Henry and Crawford, 2005), with subscale test-retest reliability of roughly r = 0.71 (Depression), 0.74 (Anxiety) and 0.81 (Stress) over a two-week interval (Antony et al., 1998). Australian normative data are also reported by Henry and Crawford (2005), and the severity bands derive from the original Lovibond and Lovibond (1995) percentile cut-offs. The DASS-21 score has no diagnostic threshold: it grades severity, and the treating psychologist owns the interpretation.
When to Use This vs Alternatives
Use K-10 when…
You want a single brief index of overall distress, for example for Better Access reporting or quick triage. The K-10 gives one global distress score; the DASS-21 separates depression, anxiety and stress into three tracked subscales.
View K-10 →Use CORE-10 when…
You need a very brief, session-by-session outcome measure that also covers functioning and risk in a single total. The DASS-21 is better when you specifically want to see depression, anxiety and stress as separate tracks.
View CORE-10 →Use CORE-OM when…
You want a fuller assessment measure spanning wellbeing, problems, functioning and risk in one total. The DASS-21 is the better fit when the question is specifically how depression, anxiety and stress compare as separate dimensions.
View CORE-OM →See It in Action
- 1Doubled total-distress band with the three subscale scores read separately
- 2Depression, Anxiety and Stress bars with their own severity chips
- 3Items shown verbatim, grouped by subscale, with 0–3 colour-coded responses
- 4One-click PDF export and email delivery
What It Measures
The DASS-21 is the short form of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, developed by Lovibond and Lovibond (1995) at the University of New South Wales. It measures the severity of three related but distinct negative emotional states over the past week: depression (low mood, anhedonia, hopelessness), anxiety (autonomic arousal, situational anxiety) and stress (tension, irritability, difficulty relaxing). Each construct is captured by seven items, giving three subscale scores rather than a single global total. It is a dimensional measure of symptom severity, not a diagnostic instrument.
When to Use the DASS-21
Use the DASS-21 at intake to establish a baseline across the three states, and re-administer it on a regular schedule to track change over a course of treatment. Because it separates depression, anxiety and stress, it is useful when you want to see which dimension is driving distress rather than a single distress score. It does not map onto DSM-5 categories and should not be used on its own to make a diagnosis: it indicates severity, and the treating psychologist interprets that in context.
Who It's For
Adults aged 17 and over, validated in clinical, community and primary-care samples and widely used in Australian practice. Self-report: the patient completes it themselves. It assumes adequate reading comprehension, so consider assisted administration where literacy or language is a barrier; the DASS has been translated into many languages. It is a state measure anchored to the past week, so it is not designed for trait or lifetime assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DASS-21?
The DASS-21 is a 21-item self-report measure of depression, anxiety and stress over the past week, developed by Lovibond and Lovibond (1995). It is the short form of the 42-item DASS and grades the severity of each of the three states; it is not a diagnostic instrument.
How is the DASS-21 scored, and why multiply by two?
Each of the 21 items is rated 0 to 3 and summed within its subscale, giving a raw score of 0 to 21 for depression, anxiety and stress. Each subscale total is then multiplied by two so it can be read against the original 42-item DASS severity bands, which is the scoring convention published with the short form.
What are the severity cut-offs for depression, anxiety and stress?
On the doubled scale, depression bands are Normal 0-9, Mild 10-13, Moderate 14-20, Severe 21-27 and Extremely Severe 28+; anxiety is Normal 0-7, Mild 8-9, Moderate 10-14, Severe 15-19 and Extremely Severe 20+; stress is Normal 0-14, Mild 15-18, Moderate 19-25, Severe 26-33 and Extremely Severe 34+. These grade severity and do not establish a diagnosis.
Is the DASS-21 free to use?
Yes. The DASS is in the public domain: the scale and scoring key may be reproduced and used without permission or a licence fee, with attribution (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995; Psychology Foundation of Australia, UNSW). The separate DASS manual is a paid purchase, but it is not required to administer or score the questionnaire. In ClientForms it is scored the moment your patient submits.
What is the difference between the DASS-21 and DASS-42?
The DASS-42 is the original 42-item version with 14 items per subscale; the DASS-21 is the short form with 7 items per subscale, which is why its raw scores are doubled to compare against the same severity bands. The two correlate very highly, and the shorter form is generally preferred in routine practice for its lower response burden.
Use the DASS-21 in your practice
Available on the Free plan. No credit card required. Patients complete it on their phone or computer. Scored the moment they hit submit.