Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10)

What is the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10)?

is a valuable tool developed by Ron Kessler and Dan Mroczek in 1992. It comes in the form of a questionnaire that asks those engaging with the scale questions about certain aspects of their psychological state in the past four weeks. These aspects include psychological fatigue, agitation, nervousness, and the severity of their depression (if they are depressed).

The questions come with a rating scale (1 to 5), with one signifying “none of the time” and five signifying “all of the time.” The points are added to determine the level of psychological distress a person is at, which should help their psychologist determine how to go about treatment.

How to use the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10)

Using this version of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale is easy – just follow the below steps:

Step 1: Have your client answer the questionnaire.

When you’re at the point in your sessions where you need to get a sense of the level of your client’s psychological distress level, issue the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) to them.

All they need to do is to rate themselves based on each question, from 1 to 5.

Step 2: Add up the scores!

Once your client submits the completed questionnaire, you need to add the scores. The minimum score that a client can get is 10, and the highest is 50. Low scores are good because they mean the client is likely to be well or only experiences mild psychological distress. High scores mean the opposite.

Here’s the scoring guide based on the 2001 Victorian Population Health Survey:

• 10-19: Your client is likely to be psychologically well and sound
• 20-24: Your client is likely to have a mild mental disorder
• 25-29: Your client is likely to have a moderate mental disorder
• 30-50: Your client is likely to have a severe mental disorder

Step 3: Come up with a treatment plan!

Once you’ve added up the client’s scores, you should be able to determine the next steps for your sessions, depending on their level of psychological distress.

When would you typically use a Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10)?

You can issue your client the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) when you’re at the stage in your sessions where you need to understand their psychological distress level.

This doesn’t mean it’s a one-off thing, though! Suppose your client scores high, meaning they are likely to have moderate/severe psychological distress and mental disorder. In that case, it’s best to keep issuing them the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale every four weeks to properly monitor their psychological distress.

As they go about their treatment plan, reissuing the scale is an excellent way to track their psychological state properly.

Who can use this printable Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10)?

The following healthcare practitioners can use the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) for their respective practices:

• (Mental health) therapists
• Counselors
• Clinical psychologists
• Psychiatrists

Their clients will engage with the scale the most since they will rate themselves based on the questions.

Why is this assessment useful and popular for counselors, therapists, and psychologists?

It’s a good way to gauge their client’s psychological distress.

Your client may have trouble articulating themselves when discussing their mental health and psychological state. By having your client rate themselves, you’ll get an idea of how good or bad their psychological state/distress is.

The resulting psychological distress score will help you create a treatment plan.

Given that the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) comes with a scoring guide that has specific designations depending on the score range, the psychological distress score will help you create a treatment plan, especially if they fall into the ranges where they are likely to have a mild, moderate, or severe mental disorder.

It’ll help you monitor their psychological distress state over time.

In the event that your client scored high initially and you created a plan where they have to attend sessions with you for an extended period of time, reissuing the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale every four weeks would be great because it’ll help you see if your treatment plan is working or not, and if your client’s mental state is improving.

What are the benefits of using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10)?

Aside from being helpful to counselors, therapists, and psychologists, the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), clients may find the scale to be beneficial.

The scoring system gives them a semblance of objectivity and can help frame where they are at, mentally. In the event that:

• The client scored high initially
• They are currently undergoing a treatment plan with you
• And the treatment plan is working

They can see how far they’ve come, and if the treatment plan comes with them having to do something on their part, they might feel more motivated and inspired to become better.