Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6).

K6

What it measures

Non-specific psychological distress; single global score (serious mental illness screen)

Length and format

6 items. 5-pt frequency Likert (none-all of the time), past 30 days (self-report questionnaire)

Language versions

40+ langs (shares the K10 translation set); embedded in WHO WMH surveys

Normative data

Normative data for this instrument is held in our reference library. The per-population breakdown is not published here.

Licence

public-domain / open

Licence classification is a research judgement by the catalogue’s authors, not legal advice, and it can be out of date. Confirm terms with the copyright holder or publisher before using an instrument, especially for commercial use.

Reference

Kessler, R.C., et al. (2003). Screening for serious mental illness in the general population. Archives of General Psychiatry, 60(2), 184-189.