Why Am I Always So Tired?
Free Fatigue Severity Scale screening. 9 questions, 3 minutes. Measures how fatigue impacts your daily functioning, motivation, and physical ability.
Before You Start
- This is a screening tool, not a diagnostic test
- All answers are processed in your browser only
- No data is stored or sent to any server
- Results can be copied to share with your clinician
What Is the Fatigue Severity Scale?
The Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) was developed by Dr Lauren Krupp at the State University of New York in 1989 and remains one of the most widely used fatigue measures in clinical practice. It assesses the impact of fatigue on daily functioning rather than simply asking "how tired are you." The FSS is used across many conditions including multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, Parkinson's disease, and post-viral fatigue. It has been validated in over 20 languages worldwide.
Signs You Might Benefit From This Screening
Living with chronic fatigue is isolating — people around you may not understand why you cannot just "push through it." You might benefit from this screening if fatigue is one of your three most disabling symptoms, if fatigue prevents you from sustaining physical functioning, if fatigue interferes with your work, family, or social life, or if fatigue has persisted for weeks or months despite adequate rest. The FSS helps put your experience into objective terms that healthcare providers understand.
How the FSS Works
The FSS consists of 9 statements about how fatigue affects your life, each rated from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Your score is the average across all 9 items. An average score below 4 suggests fatigue is not significantly impacting your function, while a score of 4 or above indicates clinically significant fatigue. A score of 5 or above suggests severe fatigue that is substantially interfering with daily life and warrants clinical attention.
What Happens After the Screening?
If your FSS score indicates significant fatigue, share your results with your GP or occupational therapist. Fatigue can have many underlying causes — including sleep disorders, thyroid conditions, anaemia, medication side effects, and mental health conditions — so a thorough medical evaluation is important. An occupational therapist can help with energy conservation strategies, activity pacing, and graded exercise programmes. The FSS is also useful for tracking whether treatment is making a measurable difference to your daily functioning.