The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) is a brief, widely used 10-item screening tool that helps identify a person’s level of non-specific psychological distress (such as symptoms linked to anxiety and depression) over the past 4 weeks. It is commonly used in primary care, public health, mental health services, and research as a quick way to flag people who may need further assessment.

How it works

• The K10 has 10 questions
• Each question is scored on a 5-point frequency scale
  • 1 = None of the time
  • 2 = A little of the time
  • 3 = Some of the time
  • 4 = Most of the time
  • 5 = All of the time
• Scores are summed to give a total from 10 to 50
• Higher scores = higher psychological distress

Why health professionals use it

The K10 is popular because it is:

• Fast to administer
• Easy to score
• Useful for screening, monitoring change over time, and supporting decisions about further mental health assessment or referral (it is not a standalone diagnosis).

Common interpretation bands

A common interpretation (used in Australian ABS reporting) is:

• 10–15: Low
• 16–21: Moderate
• 22–29: High
• 30–50: Very high psychological distress

Another commonly used clinical interpretation (e.g., primary-care style guidance) is:

• 10–19: Likely to be well
• 20–24: Likely mild disorder
• 25–29: Likely moderate disorder
• 30–50: Likely severe disorder