What Your DASS-21 Scores Actually Mean

The DASS-21 gave you three numbers. Depression, anxiety, and stress, each with its own score. But the test does not do a great job of telling you what those numbers actually mean in practical terms. This guide fills that gap.

Whether you took the assessment yourself or received results from a clinician, understanding the scoring system helps you figure out your next steps.

How DASS-21 Scoring Works

The DASS-21 contains 21 items, seven for each subscale: depression, anxiety, and stress. Each item is rated 0 to 3 based on how much the statement applied to you over the past week.

Here is the important part most people miss: your raw subscale scores (0 to 21 each) must be multiplied by 2 to get the final scores used for interpretation. This is because the DASS-21 is a shortened version of the original 42-item DASS, and multiplying by 2 makes the scores comparable to the full version.

So if your raw depression score is 8, your final score is 16. All the severity cutoffs below use the multiplied scores.

Depression Subscale Cutoffs

The depression subscale measures hopelessness, low self-esteem, and reduced positive feelings. It is not measuring sadness alone. Here are the severity levels:

• 0 to 9: Normal
• 10 to 13: Mild
• 14 to 20: Moderate
• 21 to 27: Severe
• 28 and above: Extremely severe

A score in the mild range means depressive symptoms are present but manageable. Moderate scores suggest depression is significantly impacting your daily functioning, motivation, or ability to enjoy things. Severe and extremely severe scores warrant prompt professional evaluation.

What the Depression Scale Captures

The seven depression items focus on lack of initiative, absence of positive feelings, hopelessness about the future, feeling life is meaningless, difficulty generating enthusiasm, low self-worth, and inability to experience pleasure.

Notice these are different from what most people think of as depression. The DASS-21 depression scale specifically targets anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure) and hopelessness rather than sadness or crying. You can score high on this scale without feeling traditionally “sad.”

Anxiety Subscale Cutoffs

The anxiety subscale measures autonomic arousal, skeletal muscle effects, and situational anxiety. The severity ranges are:

• 0 to 7: Normal
• 8 to 9: Mild
• 10 to 14: Moderate
• 15 to 19: Severe
• 20 and above: Extremely severe

The anxiety cutoffs are tighter than the depression cutoffs. A score of 10 is already moderate for anxiety, while the same score would be mild for depression. This means anxiety tends to be flagged at lower absolute numbers.

What the Anxiety Scale Captures

This subscale asks about physical symptoms: dry mouth, breathing difficulty, trembling, panic episodes, and feeling close to losing control. It heavily emphasizes the body-based experience of anxiety rather than worry or rumination.

If you experience mostly cognitive anxiety (racing thoughts, excessive worrying) without many physical symptoms, your DASS-21 anxiety score may underestimate your actual anxiety level. In that case, a dedicated tool like the GAD-7 assessment gives a more complete picture.

Stress Subscale Cutoffs

The stress subscale measures tension, agitation, and difficulty relaxing. It sits between anxiety and depression conceptually:

• 0 to 14: Normal
• 15 to 18: Mild
• 19 to 25: Moderate
• 26 to 33: Severe
• 34 and above: Extremely severe

The stress scale has the widest normal range. A score of 14 is still considered normal for stress, while the same number would be moderate for depression and moderate for anxiety. This reflects the fact that some level of stress is an expected part of life.

What the Stress Scale Captures

Items cover difficulty calming down, nervous energy, being agitated, intolerant of interruptions, over-reactive to situations, impatient, and easily upset. This subscale picks up on chronic arousal and difficulty winding down.

Common Score Patterns and What They Suggest

Looking at all three scores together reveals more than any single score alone.

High Anxiety, Normal Depression

This pattern suggests a primary anxiety condition. The GAD-7 can help determine if generalized anxiety disorder is a possibility.

High Depression, Normal Anxiety

This points toward depressive symptoms that may benefit from a more detailed depression screening like the PHQ-9.

All Three Elevated

When depression, anxiety, and stress are all moderate or above, it often indicates a period of significant psychological distress that may benefit from professional support. This is common during major life transitions, grief, or chronic health conditions.

High Stress, Normal Depression and Anxiety

Isolated stress elevation usually reflects situational factors: work overload, relationship conflict, caregiving responsibilities. This pattern often responds well to stress management techniques and lifestyle changes. Our burnout self-assessment can help determine if work stress is a contributing factor.

What to Do With Your Results

Your next steps depend on severity and duration.

Normal to Mild Scores (All Subscales)

1. Practice stress management: regular exercise, sleep hygiene, social connection
2. Retake the DASS-21 in two to four weeks to check if scores are stable or changing
3. Address specific stressors you can identify

Moderate Scores (Any Subscale)

1. Consider speaking with a counselor or psychologist, especially if symptoms have lasted more than two weeks
2. Implement structured self-help (cognitive behavioral techniques, mindfulness-based stress reduction)
3. Share your results with your primary care provider

Severe to Extremely Severe Scores

1. Schedule an appointment with a mental health professional as soon as possible
2. Talk to your doctor about whether medication may be appropriate
3. If you are having thoughts of self-harm, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988)

Limitations to Keep in Mind

The DASS-21 is a screening tool, not a diagnostic test. It tells you about symptom severity but cannot diagnose specific disorders. Scores can be influenced by recent events, sleep deprivation, physical illness, or substance use.

Also, a single administration is a snapshot. Tracking your scores over time provides far more useful information than any single result.