These two short checklists look at distress in the last 30 days. K10 has 10 items. K6 has 6 items. This is for education only, not a diagnosis. Your answers stay on your device unless you share a results link.
Your results
K10 total
K6 total
Helpful next steps
Here are tools you can try now. We match to the higher of your two results.
Important
Emergency: If this is an emergency, call your local emergency services now.
Numbers can change. Please verify online before calling.
Test is for education and entertainment only. It is not advice and it has no guarantee of accuracy or validity.
Assessment is free and anonymous. You can save a direct link to your results.
These tools are for screening only. Only a licensed clinician can diagnose. If you are worried about safety, use the Emergency button now.
Use is at your own risk. PsychKit, Joyful Psych, and subsidiaries are not liable for any damages from use.
K10 has 10 items scored 1 to 5 for a total of 10 to 50. Usual cut points are 10 to 19 low (likely well), 20 to 24 mild, 25 to 29 moderate, and 30 to 50 severe. K6 has 6 items scored 0 to 4 for a total of 0 to 24. A common threshold for serious distress is 13 or higher. Both scales look at the last 30 days.
References and credits
Kessler RC et al. Screening for serious mental illness in the general population. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2003. (K10 and K6 development)
Harvard NCS: K6/K10 free to use. Scoring FAQ with 0-4 coding for K6 and cut point 13 for serious mental illness.
Official K6 self-admin form for wording. Official K10 form for wording and guidance.
K10 and K6 are free to use without permission. Please cite Kessler et al., 2003 and include the World Health Organization copyright where applicable. Sources: Harvard NCS.
v1.0. Single file. Autosave. Shareable link. Mobile first.
FAQs
What do K10 and K6 measure
They screen how much general distress you felt in the last month. They do not diagnose a specific disorder.
How are they scored
K10 items are 1 to 5 for a total of 10 to 50. K6 items are recoded 0 to 4 for a total of 0 to 24. We follow Harvard NCS scoring guidance.
Why are my K10 and K6 categories different
That can happen. K10 has four levels. K6 is often used with a single threshold at 13 for serious distress. We show both and match suggestions to the higher level.
Is my data stored on a server
No. Your answers stay in your browser using localStorage. The share link encodes results in the URL after the #. Servers do not receive that part.
How often should I retake it
Weekly or every two weeks is common if you want to track change. Talk to a clinician if you are worried.
Emergency help
If this is an emergency, call your local emergency services now.
Numbers can change. Please verify online before calling.
India: 112 all emergencies. Tele-MANAS 14416 mental health
USA: 911. Mental health 988
UK: 999 emergency. 111 NHS non emergency
Germany: 112 fire or medical. 110 police
Russia: 112 all emergencies
China mainland: 110 police, 120 ambulance, 119 fire, 122 traffic
